ENI’s Versalis licenses LDPE-EVA technology for MTO project in Uzbekistan
Versalis, the chemical company of Italian energy major ENI, has licensed to Enter Engineering a Low Density Polyethylene/Ethyl Vinyl Acetate (LDPE/EVA) swing unit to be built as part of a new Gas to Chemical Complex based on MTO-Methanol to Olefins technology to be located in the Karakul area in the Bukhara region of the Republic of Uzbekistan, ENI said on February 2.
The plant is part of a global complex that will have a major importance in Central Asia due to its size and the technologies involved.
Enter Engineering, one of the largest construction Companies in the region, will act as licensee on behalf of the Uzbek Company Jizzakh Petroleum, who will own and operate the LDPE/EVA unit and the entire Gas to Chemical Complex once built and made ready for operation.
According to ENI, the licensed plant will be based on the Versalis proprietary LDPE/EVA Technology. The unit will be designed for a maximum production of EVA equivalent to 180.000 tons per year.
LDPE and EVA are ethylene polymers and co-polymers possessing a suitable balance between processability and mechanical properties, which are widely used in the industry for the production of materials covering a variety of applications including film, coating, injection moulding, packaging, medical appliances, foams and as a base component for hot melt adhesives.
The LDPE/EVA technology is part of the wider polymers’ technologies portfolio offered by Versalis to produce high-value products. Versalis’ background and expertise as licensor of its proprietary technologies relies on its enduring R&D and lab & pilot plant testing capabilities, and full-scale operational experience at its own production facilities. This knowledge strengthens Versalis’ actions to support and assist its licensees in achieving their specific needs from the project development phase throughout the operational stages, ENI said.
The contract has been acquired by Versalis in cooperation with ECI Group, a US based plant-lifecycle specialist providing services in design, engineering, procurement, construction, technology and consultancy particularly focused on polyolefins plants. ECI Group comprises Engineers and Constructors International (US), Simon Carves Engineering (UK) and International Technical Excellence Center (US).
