Eni S.p.A. and Maire Tecnimont Group’s subsidiary for green chemistry NextChem partners in new waste-based projects in Taranto, Italy.
The project will assess a plant within the Taranto refinery for the manufacturing of new synthesis gas from mixed plastics (plasmix) and dry waste using a chemical recycling process.
The gas output then will be refined and produced via two separate channels, hydrogen and gas. The Eni refinery would use the hydrogen to assist the fuel hydrodesulfurization process while the gas is utilized by the steel mill both in blast furnace processes and the new Direct Reduced Iron technologies.
NextChem is working on the project’s industrial application. An Eni-NextChem joint team will assess the technical and economic feasibility and plant streams. Its technological solution could lead to a significant CO2 reduction from a Life Cycle Assessment perspective compared with the available waste to energy treatments of plasmix and dry waste post-consumption.
Other than this project, Eni and NextChem have other proceeding engineering studies for a waste-to-hydrogen production plant at the Eni bio-refinery in Venice, Porto Marghera, and for a waste-to-methanol production plant at the Eni refinery in Livorno.
Eni aims to be the leader in the production and commercialization of decarbonized products with a strategic plan to enable the company to reduce absolute net GHG lifecycle emissions by 80% by 2050 and increase its green energy production.
Eni will also produce gas, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and hydrogen from gas and bio feedstocks, removing CO2 through sequestration and storage projects, while also producing biofuels from its biorefineries as well as biofuels, methanol, and hydrogen from waste.
The company will also produce chemical products from renewables and first and secondary feedstocks.
