Eni, COREPLA Tie Up to Produce Hydrogen From Plastic Waste
Nasdaq - Eni SpA E has inked an agreement with COREPLA, the National Consortium for the Collection, Recycling and Recovery of Plastic Packaging.
The deal relates to the initiation of research projects to produce hydrogen from non-recyclable plastic packaging waste.
The main aim of the deal is to evaluate the introduction of research projects to produce hydrogen and high-quality biofuels from plastic waste. The working group will assess the market behavior toward non-mechanically recyclable packaging over the next few years. In sync with new EU directives, the group will examine the types of waste that can be used to develop a constructive, pioneering circular economy process and optimize recovery.
In sorted waste, plastic packaging is separated and sent for recycling so that it can be reprocessed through conversion into chips or grains. Subsequently,the plastic becomes the raw material for generating new products. However, not every material can be reused. Currently, plasmix is the collective name for the different plastics that are used in packaging that have no use in the market of recycling. Hence, the bulk of these materials will be utilized for energy recovery, while a small portion will be used for landfill. With the latest agreement, some of this material can now be recycled and altered into new raw material.
Based on research and newly developed technologies, Eni is strengthening and developing its strategy to apply the principles of the circular economy to the business. Since 2014, courtesy of the Ecofining™ patent, Eni has been producing high-quality biofuels from used cooking and frying oil, animal fat as well as other non-edible waste in Porto Marghera and also in Gela.
Hydrogen is avital part of the production process, as it neutralizes the oxygen in vegetable oil and alters the triglycerides into paraffins and isoparaffins, thereby completely eliminating the sulphur, nitrogen and polyaromatic hydrocarbons from the biofuel. Another significant element of the Eni circular economy is Waste to Fuel. Toconduct test production of bio-oil and biomethane from the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW), a pilot plant has been constructed in Gela. Outcome from this test will be vital in the announced production on an industrial scale at the plants in Ravenna, Porto Marghera and other potential industrial sites in Italy and other countries.