Technological watch
Versalis to acquire technologies and plants for mechanical recycling in Porto Marghera
The chemical company of ENI, Versalis, has acquired on an exclusive basis the technology and plants of Ecoplastic, an Italian company of the De Berg group specializing in the recovery, recycling and transformation chain of styrenic polymers.
The agreement guarantees Versalis the expertise developed by Ecoplastic, allowing it to accelerate developments in advanced mechanical recycling and expand the portfolio of the Versalis Revive range of recycled polymers, consolidating its European leadership in recycled styrenic polymers.
Ecoplastic has developed a production process of styrenic polymers, expanded polystyrene (rEPS) and solid polystyrene (rGPPS) with recycled content up to 100% starting from secondary raw material obtained from expanded polystyrene waste selected from the industrial and commercial sectors. The new products will be used for applications in which sustainability and circularity requirements are essential, such as packaging and construction.
The agreement with the De Berg group constitutes a concrete step for the start of the first phase of construction of the advanced mechanical recycling hub as part of the transformation project of the Porto Marghera plant, where the installation of the units acquired from Ecoplastic for the production of styrenic polymers obtained entirely from recycled, already sorted and pre-treated raw material, will take place from next year. The overall capacity of this first phase will be around 20 thousand tons per year.
“The recycling of plastics is one of the fundamental levers to accelerate the transformation of Versalis through circular models and is part of Eni’s broader strategy for the energy transition, of which the circular economy is one of the core strategic pillars. This agreement represents a further important step in the development of a portfolio of recycled products capable of meeting the needs of the market both in terms of high performance and sustainability, leveraging technological innovation and strategic supply chain partnerships, as well as our people’s expertise”, Adriano Alfani, Versalis CEO, commented.
The agreement guarantees Versalis the expertise developed by Ecoplastic, allowing it to accelerate developments in advanced mechanical recycling and expand the portfolio of the Versalis Revive range of recycled polymers, consolidating its European leadership in recycled styrenic polymers.
Ecoplastic has developed a production process of styrenic polymers, expanded polystyrene (rEPS) and solid polystyrene (rGPPS) with recycled content up to 100% starting from secondary raw material obtained from expanded polystyrene waste selected from the industrial and commercial sectors. The new products will be used for applications in which sustainability and circularity requirements are essential, such as packaging and construction.
The agreement with the De Berg group constitutes a concrete step for the start of the first phase of construction of the advanced mechanical recycling hub as part of the transformation project of the Porto Marghera plant, where the installation of the units acquired from Ecoplastic for the production of styrenic polymers obtained entirely from recycled, already sorted and pre-treated raw material, will take place from next year. The overall capacity of this first phase will be around 20 thousand tons per year.
“The recycling of plastics is one of the fundamental levers to accelerate the transformation of Versalis through circular models and is part of Eni’s broader strategy for the energy transition, of which the circular economy is one of the core strategic pillars. This agreement represents a further important step in the development of a portfolio of recycled products capable of meeting the needs of the market both in terms of high performance and sustainability, leveraging technological innovation and strategic supply chain partnerships, as well as our people’s expertise”, Adriano Alfani, Versalis CEO, commented.
This project has been co-funded with the support of the LIFE financial instrument of the European Union [LIFE17 ENV/ES/000438] Life programme
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