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FIGHTING CLIMATE CHANGE
2.4 MAIRE TECNIMONT FOR THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY Maire Tecnimont has approached the theme of the circular economy with the precise aim of applying its know-how in chemical engineering and knowledge of hydrocarbon transformation processes to a more sustainable future, based on preserving resources and limiting climate-altering emissions. The Maire Tecnimont Group, through its subsidiary NextChem, has developed a Circular District model, whose aim is to use innovative technologies in the green chemistry sector and for recycling at the production sites used by traditional and heavy industry. The model integrates the principles and objectives of the circular economy with those of the transition to a low-carbon economy. Our philosophy is to utilize these principles (circular economy and decarbonization) to good effect within a framework of economic and environmental sustainability. The aim of the model is the synergistic production of high-quality recycled polymers from mechanically recyclable plastics and low-carbon chemicals, and of fuels from non-recyclable waste, while supporting the green conversion of industry (primarily refineries) by reducing its climate-altering emissions.
sets out new objectives for the recycling of urban waste: by 2025, at least 55% (by weight) of urban waste will have to be recycled. The development of the circular economy is one of the primary objectives of the European Union, and is also much in evidence in the guidelines of supranational bodies and in the Sustainable Development Goals. Our model contributes to the achievement of recycling and waste recovery targets by assuring the transition from a linear economy to a circular one; it allows the production not only of secondary raw materials to replace virgin ones, but also the production of an energy carrier such as hydrogen, for fuels like methanol, ethanol and high-value chemicals, which have a lower carbon content than traditional ones made from fossil fuels. Maire Tecnimont’s Green Circular District Model contributes to the decarbonization of hard-to-abate energy-intensive industries. It bolsters the efforts to mitigate the climate and environmental risks posed by the use of fossil fuels, by promoting the process of decarbonizing traditional industry, and contributes to the fulfilment of the European climate neutrality target for 2050.
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF OUR CIRCULAR DISTRICT MODEL
INNOVATION AND THE POSITIVE SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE GREEN CIRCULAR DISTRICT MODEL
The new European Waste Directive has strengthened the principle of sustainable transition of the waste management cycle, in order to promote the principles of the circular economy. In particular, the Directive
Our model can be a benchmark for the creation of a best practice and at the same time for the creation of synergies between industrial actors in different supply chains (waste, refining, energy and distribution).
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CREATING VALUE
Our project can help promote private investment in order to promote economic recovery in strategic green sectors and preserve jobs in at-risk supply chains and geographical regions. This will involve reskilling and creating new employment, including jobs for young people, by training dedicated professional roles. The project involves the realization of innovative solutions; the dissemination of know-how will also encourage the uptake of similar solutions in other industries and businesses, and it could encourage the formation of new downstream supply chains and allied industries, which will have a positive socioeconomic impact on the communities that will host the Circular Districts.
A STRATEGY FOR PLASTIC LIFECYCLE SUSTAINABILITY The future of plastic? According to the Maire Tecnimont Group’s vision, it is sustainable. The way forward is to consider plastic waste as the oil of the new millennium. Plastic has been the subject of great mobilization in recent years, and this has rightly focused our attention on the harm caused to the environment and wildlife by dumping plastic on the ground, in rivers or in seas; it is less fair to demonize plastic as a material in any of its applications. Plastic is one of the greatest inventions of the last century. It has made a fundamental contribution to improving the quality of life and well-being of millions of people in the most vulnerable areas of the planet, and its light weight allows goods and products to circulate in a less environmentally-
