The death knell appears to have been sounded for Italy’s PVC production at Porto Marghera, near Venice, and Porto Torres on Sardinia. The period of “extraordinary administration” for Vinyls Italia (Porto Marghera), the former Ineos subsidiary, will end on 8 September without a buyer on the horizon. All talks about a viable way forward for the two sites evidently have fallen victim to the country’s economic and energy realities and, ultimately, petrochemicals giant Eni’s plan to withdraw from chlorine production – see Plasteurope.com of 26.06.2009. If no surprises occur, the vinyls activities are likely to be wound down, ending a drama that has played out for at least half a decade.

Even the trade unions, long at the forefront of efforts to save Italy’s petrochemicals and plastics industry, seem to be convinced that there is nothing more that can be done. A weak ray of hope for Porto Marghera may exist. According to Salvatore Barone, industry manager at the Italian general labour confederation CGIL (www.cgil.it), there is interest in locating other, non chlorine-related production there. If these plans do not pan out, Barone said local authorities must find new owners for the Eni-owned industrial property.

At Ravenna, another Vinyls Italia site, the protracted talks with the wholly family-owned Industrie Generali (IGS, Samarate / Italy; www.industriegenerali.it) and Italy’s ministry for economic development are continuing – see Plasteurope.com of 29.10.2010. CEO Roberto Castiglioni told national media that his company is still analysing feedstock supply at the site to which it only gained access in May.

Eni, linchpin in any deal involving chemicals in Italy, in the end may play a role in the “greening” of the sector, which in the past several years has dwindled to a fraction of its earlier importance. In June, it outlined plans for its new bioplastics hub at Porto Torres in a 50:50 joint venture with leading bioplastics producer Novamont (Novara / Italy; www.novamont.com) – see Plasteurope.com of 15.06.2011. The group has told the economics ministry that this could absorb some of the workers made redundant in the shutdown of petrochemical activities – including the 250,000 t/y cracker owned by Eni subsidiary Polimeri Europa (Milan / Italy; www.polimerieuropa.com). However, the environmental group IRS, which uncovered chemical contamination in the Gulf of Asinara surrounding Porto Torres that eventually led to the indictment of four company managers – see Plasteurope.com of 05.08.2011 – said it has “major doubts” that the “green” project will help to protect or create jobs at the site.