Versalis starts bioethanol production at Crescentino – Chemical Engineering

Mary Paige Bailey February 17, 2022

Versailles SpA (San Donato Milanese), the chemical company Eni, has announced that it has started production of bioethanol from lignocellulosic biomass in Crescentino (Vercelli), Italy.

Factory, which was acquired in 2018, has been overhauled thanks to major investments and started the production of modern bioethanol in accordance with European legislation on the development of renewable energy RED II, as it is derived from raw materials that do not interfere with the food chain. Bioethanol, produced using Proesa technology, one of the world’s most innovative industrial-scale biomass chemistry technologies, is ISCC-EU * certified and will be used to produce gasoline with a renewable component.

The plant is capable of processing 200,000 tons of biomass per year with a maximum production capacity of about 25,000 tons of bioethanol per year. After the initial test run of production in recent weeks, the plant is now running at a translational speed to fine-tune the process. From July 2020, Crescentino also produces Invix hand and surface disinfectant, a “medical device” manufactured using biologically based ethanol as the active ingredient.

The Versalis plant in Crescentino is an example of sustainable initiative and cyclicality: its energy supply is self-sustaining through the production of renewable electricity and steam from a short-supply biomass and co-produced lignin by the process. The integrated water treatment plant also allows the production of biogas, which in turn is used to produce steam. The plant is also capable of recycling used water, thus drastically reducing consumption.

Adriana Alfani, CEO of Versalis, said: “Starting with the industrial production of modern bioethanol using Proesa technology is an important step for Crescentino, a one-of-a-kind plant that further strengthens our strategy of developing renewable chemicals to improve sustainable mobility, in line with Eni’s energy transition strategy. For Versalis, innovation and technological development are important components to accelerate the development of increasingly sustainable chemicals. ”