ENI (Rome), Italy’s energy major, has confirmed that it is looking for options for its chemicals subsidiary Versalis (Milan).
Responding to media reports that ENI is planning to sell the unit, Claudio Descalzi, ENI CEO said, “We are looking for a joint venture to extract value from the business.” Bloomberg, citing sources familiar with the matter, reported earlier this week that ENI is working with Barclays on a potential sale of Versalis, which may raise €1 billion ($1.1 billion). Several private equity firms may be interested in bidding for the unit, it said.
Versalis has achieved a major turnaround since its creation some three years ago. The restructuring includes reducing petrochemicals capacity in Italy and the United Kingdom, converting some of its assets to biobased chemicals, and a significant push into Asia. The company is now profitable and plans to complete its transformation as soon as possible. Versalis in the first half of last year lost €182 million and in the first six months of 2015 made a profit of €95 million.
By Natasha Alperowicz
Source: Chemical Week
France has launched an offshore green hydrogen production platform at the country’s Port of Saint-Nazaire this week, along with its first offshore wind farm. The hydrogen plant, which its operators say is the world’s first facility of its type, coincides with the launch of another “first of its kind” facility in Sweden dedicated to storing hydrogen in an underground lined rock cavern (LRC).
The project sets up the Hydrogen Valley in Rome, the first industrial-scale technological hub for the development of the national supply chain for the production, transport, storage and use of hydrogen for the decarbonization of industrial processes and for sustainable mobility.
At first glance, hydrogen seems to be the perfect solution to our energy needs. It doesn’t produce any carbon dioxide when used. It can store energy for long periods of time. It doesn’t leave behind hazardous waste materials, like nuclear does. And it doesn’t require large swathes of land to be flooded, like hydroelectricity. Seems too good to be true. So…what’s the catch?
