MILAN, Italy/WOODRIDGE, IL – Versalis, the chemical subsidiary of Eni, and Elevance Renewable Sciences Inc., a producer of specialty chemicals from natural oils, have signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a partnership to jointly develop and scale a new metathesis technology to produce bio-chemicals from vegetable oils.

Versalis and Elevance intend to focus on jointly developing and scaling new catalysts. In addition, the partners will assess the design and construction of world-scale ethylene metathesis-based production processes that will utilize renewable oils at the Versalis Porto Marghera site. Market applications of the future bio-chemicals will be personal care, detergents and cleaners, bio-lubricants, and oilfield chemicals.

Versalis will contribute its skills in catalysis process development and scale-up design. Elevance will bring proprietary know-how regarding metathesis and associated engineering with the use of vegetable oils in producing specialty chemicals, leveraging similar projects in the United States and Asia.