Versalis and Elevance partner for biochemicals production

Versalis, the chemical subsidiary of Eni, and Elevance Renewable Sciences, a producer of specialty chemicals from natural oils, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish a strategic partnership to jointly develop and scale a new metathesis technology to produce biochemicals from vegetable oils.

Under the new partnership, the two companies will jointly develop and scale new catalysts, leveraging the significant progress of this technology that has been already accomplished by Elevance. The partners will also assess the design and construction of an ethylene metathesis-based production that will utilise renewable oils at the Versalis Porto Marghera site.

The biochemicals produced will be sold for use in different applications such as personal care, detergents and cleaners, bio-lubricants and oilfield chemicals.

'The agreement with Elevance will further enhance our capability to progress in green innovation while boosting the transformation of one of our petrochemical sites into a more competitive and long-term sustainable complex, thus creating synergies between the renewable with the petrochemical industries,' Versalis CEO Daniele Ferrari says.

Versalis will contribute its experience in catalysis process development and engineering design scale-up, while Elevance will bring proprietary know-how regarding metathesis and associated engineering with the use of vegetable oils in producing specialty chemicals for premium applications.