IT Plast Maggio 2021 | Page 22

ECONOMY AND MARKET

ALIPLAST AND NEXTCHEM TOGETHER FOR RECYCLING

An agreement signed by Hera and Maire Tecnimont for the construction of a plant based on the MyReplast technology .
Italian technology plast / May 2021
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Maire Tecnimont and the Hera Group have signed a strategic agreement between Aliplast , a Hera Group company active in the collection , recycling and regeneration of plastics , and NextChem , a company of the Maire Tecnimont Group dedicated to the development of projects and technologies for energy transition . The agreement will secure the supply of Nextchem ’ s technology , engineering and EPC services for the construction of a plant based on the MyReplast state-of-the-art proprietary technology for upcycling plastic waste into added value polymers . This initial partnership aims at bringing together the strengths of two companies leaders in their respective fields . It is precisely the synergy generated by the combined competences and resources of these companies that will allow the development of a plant absolutely unique on the European scene . Built on a site owned by the Hera Group , the plant will leverage the innovative MyReplast technology , developed by NextChem for the production of high purity and quality recycled polymers capable of achieving high chemical / physical and mechanical performance . The purpose of the plant is therefore to process post-consumer plastic waste into “ tailor-made ” recycled products meeting the demands of individual customers while complying with the highest quality standards on the market thanks to characteristics and properties close to those of fossil-derived virgin polymers . All that with the final goal of giving life to an unprecedented engineering experience .
Thirty thousand tons per year Once on stream , the new plant – which thanks to Herambiente will be able to draw on green energy sources for its operation – will be able to produce around 30,000 tons per year of polymers . The plant will guarantee high safety standards and have in-
Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano ( left ), Executive Chairman of the Hera Group , and Pierroberto Folgiero , CEO of NextChem and the Maire Tecnimont Group
novative features such as , for example , pervasive process automation and digitalisation with the support of data analytics , also maximising energy efficiency with obvious environmental benefits . The partnership with NextChem , in particular , will allow Aliplast to take advantage of the new opportunities brought by recycling and compounding operations in order to expand into the sector of rigid plastic parts such as PP , HDPE and ABS , which cannot be processed properly using mechanical recycling systems alone . The company ’ s goal is to continue to serve its customers by offering them an ever wider spectrum of high-quality recycled plastics , in line with advanced circular economy models that comply not only with the EU and UN targets , but also with the principles of the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment initiative of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation , an important international network working on circular economy of which the Hera Group is a member , thanks also and above all to its Aliplast operations . “ The path indicated by partnerships like this ” Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano , Executive Chairman of the Hera Group “ is fundamental to leverage the excellence and strengths of both partners who can really make a difference in the transition to increasingly sustainable models of development , a goal on which the Hera Group has been working for years through all its operations . Plastics , in particular , now need a recycling industry that can rely strongly on technology and innovation to overcome the challenge posed by ‘ demanding ’ plastics that cannot be dealt with successfully with mechanical recycling . That ’ s why Aliplast , relying on the expertise of NextChem , has decided to go further , also putting in place the necessary upcyling infrastructures in order to meet the sustainability targets in an increasingly performing way and , in an equal measure , the needs of customers who continue to require high quality polymers from recyclers .” “ This agreement is very important to us as it represents the first great result of our strategy aimed at developing the upcycling of plastic waste through our MyReplast technology . We started with an industrial plant in Bedizzole and now we are aiming at the European and international markets ” Pierroberto Folgiero , CEO of NextChem and the Maire Tecnimont Group . “ The recycling sector needs to develop an approach based on quality , on an industrial vision and attention to the market : a partner like the Hera Group guarantees the synergies necessary to concretise this approach and confirms the validity of the path that we have chosen .” www . plastmagazine . it