Versalis, Eni's chemical company, has exclusively acquired the technology and plants of Ecoplastic, an Italian company of the De Berg group specialized in the recovery, recycling and transformation chain of styrenic polymers.
The agreement, signed today, guarantees Versalis the know-how developed by Ecoplastic and, in synergy with its technological skills, allows it to accelerate developments in advanced mechanical recycling, to expand the portfolio of the Versalis Revive range of recycled polymers. ® and to consolidate its European leadership in recycled styrene polymers.
Ecoplastic has in fact developed a production process of styrene polymers, expanded polystyrene (rEPS) and compact (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 destined for application sectors for which sustainability and circularity requirements are essential, such as packaging and construction, in line with the reference regulatory framework.
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 center as part of the transformation project of the Porto Marghera site, which will see the installation of the plants from next year. acquired by Ecoplastic for the production of styrenic polymers obtained entirely from recycled raw material and already selected and pre-treated. The overall capacity of this first phase will be around 20 thousand tons / year.
"The recycling of plastics is one of the fundamental levers to accelerate the transformation of Versalis through circular models - commented Adriano Alfani, Versalis CEO - and is part of Eni's broader strategy for the energy transition, in which the circular economy is one of the 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 skills of our people ".