The Marghera petrochemical site could change its face, given that Eni intends to invest at least 470 million euros on the site to reduce the environmental impact of related productions. THE DOUBTS OF THE UNION
Eni and Versalis are working to achieve sustainable goals. The unions have mobilized against the risks of this choice. “We confirm our support for the processes of technological and environmental transformation – said Giampietro Gregnanin, regional secretary of Uiltec Veneto in the matter of an event held in Rome last month – but we clearly reiterate that there is no transformation path that can ignore certain rules and actions. The workers will not accept actions in two stages: the principle according to which I first close the activities and then build the possible reconversions is absolutely not admissible. The Italian chemical sector represents an indispensable heritage of technology, research, innovation and employment, both for basic chemistry and for the ‘specialties’ that derive from it “. THE VERSALIS PROJECTS
Versalis, a company of the Eni group, in particular, is thinking of new poles for the transformation of old chemistry, not only for the Veneto site of Porto Marghera, but also for that of Gela in Sicily. For the latter one thinks of the biojet, while for Porto Marghera one looks at a plastics recycling site, a logistics hub for the distribution of products and a maintenance center for Italian sites. “Marghera is part of Eni’s transformation strategy, which will take place with numerous initiatives”, said Adriano Alfani, CEO of Versalis, announcing the closure of the cracking and aromatics plants. There will be no consequences on employment, he assured, because “the chemical transformation is an opportunity to manage the entire direct occupation”. The strategic motivation of the plan for the Venetian lagoon is summarized in a cut of 600 thousand tons of CO2 per year “a concrete opportunity to give value to the site and increase Eni’s value”. The prospect dedicated to renewable renewable energies is certainly evident, but the cessation of old production is also certain. Certainly the union stresses that it must be a strategy that absolutely does not lead to the closure of the plants. PIRANI WANTS TO DISCUSS ABOUT DEVELOPMENT
“It is necessary – he argued repeatedlyPaolo Pirani – that the planning coincides with the consequent feasibility regarding the future of the site in question after we heard from the company the decision to close the cracking plants. The union cannot participate in the time schedule of the aforementioned closure which runs from June to next September, because we do not want to discuss only the social safety nets that will be needed, but the programming of real development. At the center of the perspective must be both employed people and energy production ”. The debate is open. THE HYPOTHESIS OF HYDROGEN PRODUCTION
In order to make a substantial contribution to the decarbonization plan supported by the group led by CEO Claudio Descalzi from various parts of the company, it was pointed out that the opportunity relating to the production of hydrogen is not to be missed. And it would not be a trivial choice. Just to give an example, Fincantieri has started a laboratory in the Area Science Park in collaboration with the University of Trieste, with the aim of testing generation plants based on different types of “fuel cells”. Because the economic, technological and social revolution linked to the hydrogen network is fundamental in the path of carbon neutrality. By focusing on increasing the degree of electrification of ships and on the use of sustainable energy carriers, smart companies can seize great opportunities. And from a design point of view, the navalmeccanico group led by Giuseppe Bono aims precisely at greater environmental sustainability of cruise ships, mega-yachts, ferries, ferries and oceanographic research vessels, through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, oxides nitrogen and sulfur, and particulate matter. Hydrogen applied to ship propulsion and energy saving is a scenario that the most important European shipbuilding group is designing industrially thanks to projects in the field of innovation and green energy to be financed with the Recovery Fund. The production aspect in this sense is represented by Zeus – Zero Emission Ultimate Ship, an experimental naval unit powered by fuel cell for navigation at sea, the first of its kind. About 25 meters long and weighing about 170 tons,A POSSIBLE PRODUCTION SYNERGY BETWEEN ENI AND FINCANTIERI
In perspective, it would not be a utopia to believe that the roads of Eni and Fincantieri could determine an interesting structured synergy in the North East area, based on the Trieste-Venice axis. “At the moment these are only hypotheses – Paolo Pirani commented – because the first is the effective comparison with Eni and Versalis on the state of the plants in the present time and only afterwards can we plan the possible things for the time to come. It is clear that the project for an idrogen hub in Porto Marghera represents a high level hypothesis and vast potential. From this point of view, a recruitment plan aimed at new generations and characterized by innovative skills would be consequential “.
