FLAGSHIP PLANT 1
PORTO TORRES
The Porto Torres biorefinery, operated by Matrica is a leading industrial site for the conversion of vegetable oils into high-value bio-based products. As part of RUNFASTER4EU, the plant is being upgraded to improve the production of azelaic acid and pelargonic acid, two key bio-based building blocks used in cosmetics, lubricants, and dielectric fluids.
The upgrades focus on:
- Increasing capacity and efficiency of the Monomer Plant for converting oils into acids.
- Enhancing the Ester Plant to produce innovative esters tailored for market needs.
- Improving sustainability by integrating more low-ILUC oil crops like safflower, and optimising purification and storage systems.
These improvements aim to scale up production to 25,000 tonnes/year of acids and 15,000 tonnes/year of esters, while ensuring high product purity and reduced environmental impact.
FLAGSHIP PLANT 2
CRESCENTINO
The Crescentino biorefinery, owned by Versalis, is a pioneer in converting lignocellulosic biomass into bioethanol. Within RUNFASTER4EU, the plant is being adapted to process defatted meal, the solid material left after oil extraction, from oil crops like cardoon and safflower.
The goal is to produce:
- Hydrolysed proteins for biostimulants.
- Soluble dietary fibres for food and feed applications.
To do this, the plant is integrating advanced enzymatic hydrolysis processes and upgrading key sections, including raw material handling, separation, and purification. The aim is to reach flagship-scale production (600 tonnes/year) with high efficiency and full integration into the existing plant infrastructure.
