Italy-headed oil, gas, and energy major Eni S.p.A. has announced that it has signed an agreement with NextChem Srl, the green chemistry subsidiary of compatriot Maire Tecnimont S.p.A to introduce a gasification technology that transforms non-recyclable waste into hydrogen and methanol.
According to a statement, Eni and NextChem will jointly assess the technical and financial impact of the new technology, which could be implemented at Eni’s industrial sites in Italy. Eni has already expressed interest in evaluating the “Waste to Hydrogen” project at its biorefinery in Porto Marghera, Venice, and carried out a feasibility study in collaboration with NextChem.
This technological partnership with Eni, a leader in the sector, is an exceptionally important step for our green acceleration project. The energy transition requires the industrialisation of new transformation processes, and with NextChem we are ready to respond to the growing demand for change, said Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO of Maire Tecnimont Group.
The agreement will position Eni as a co-developer of NextChem’s technology. It will also provide a tangible example of the circular economy: It reuses hundreds of thousands of tonnes of non-recyclable waste to produce chemical products and fuel. This will contribute to environmental sustainability at Eni’s industrial sites, forming part of an increasingly integrated and efficient system designed to contain and reduce atmospheric emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2).
This partnership will see Eni acquire highly innovative technology. When this technology is combined with the rich technological assets that Eni has accumulated over decades of refining, it will help to establish a tangible circular economic process whereby fuel is produced from waste with low environmental impact, said Giuseppe Ricci, Eni’s Chief Refining & Marketing Officer.