The two companies are already collaborating on the engineering of a waste-to-hydrogen production facility at the Eni bio refinery in Venice
The syngas produced at the plant will be later refined and produced through two separate channels. (Credit: Pixabay/Frauke Feind)
Italian oil and gas company Eni and Maire Tecnimont Group’s subsidiary NextChem have strengthened their partnership for a new synthesis gas plant in Taranto, Italy.
Both the companies are planning to conduct research for a new project which will be located within the Taranto refinery.
The two companies are already collaborating on the engineering of a waste-to-hydrogen production facility at the Eni bio refinery in Venice and on a waste-to-methanol production plant near Livorno.
Eni and NextChem will now study the feasibility of a refinery plant to produce new synthesis gas from plasmix and dry waste through a chemical recycling process.
Eni said: “The gas produced will be then refined and produced through two separate channels: hydrogen, which can be used by the Eni refinery to assist the fuel hydrodesulphurization process; gas with a high carbon monoxide content which can be used by the steel mill both in blast furnace processes and the new Direct Reduced Iron technologies.
“These studies could make a significant contribution in terms of decarbonization or the steel industry.”
The syngas produced at the plant will be later refined and produced through two separate channels.
One of the two channels involves hydrogen that can used by the Eni refinery to assist the fuel hydrodesulphurization process.
The other involves gas with a high carbon monoxide content which can be used by the steel mill both in blast furnace processes and the new Direct Reduced Iron technologies.
NextChem is working on industrial application of syngas project
NextChem is working on aspects related to the industrial application of the new project, while Eni-NextChem joint team will assess the technical and economic feasibility and plants’ streams.
The agreement signed between the companies is part of the long-term strategy that will enable Eni to become a major player in the production and commercialization of decarbonized products.
The Italian oil and gas company stated: “Eni is implementing a strategic plan which is unique in the industry and which will allow the Company to reduce absolute net GHG lifecycle emissions by 80% by 2050.”
In January last year, Eni has collaborated with NextChem on a project which converts waste into new energy, hydrogen and methanol.