by Camilla Mondini
Ecological and chemical transition, these were the watchwords of the afternoon full of events, at the Petrochemical Institute of Ferrara, in which the protagonist was the signing of the agreement for the valorisation of the technological industrial center of Ferrara. A project whose proponent was the Municipality of Ferrara itself, which at the end of November, represented by councilor Alessandro Balboni, met with Minister Adolfo Urso at the Ministry’s headquarters in Rome to finalize the agreement.
Paolo Schiavina, CEO of the Ifm Ferrara Scpa Consortium, will open the dance at 3 pm and moderate the table. The event then continued with the presentation of Studio Prospettive Polo Petrolchimico in terms of innovation and sustainability, directed by Massimiliano Mazzanti, director of the Economics and Management Department of the University of Ferrara and with a presentation of the Efficiency Project of the Industrial and Technological Center of Ferrara directed by the manager of the Environment and Agriculture Sector of the Municipality of Ferrara Alessio Stabellini.
The mayor of Ferrara Alan Fabbri, the president of the Province of Ferrara Gianni Michele Padovani, the vice-president of the Emilia Romagna Region Irene Priolo, the councilor for Economic Development and Green Economy Vincenzo Colla, the deputy minister of the Environment Vannia Gava and the Minister of Business and Made in Italy Adolfo Urso.
The Memorandum of Understanding for the enhancement of the industrial and technological center of Ferrara was born from the desire of the Ferrara area to create a system and aims to bring the most important industrial reality of the entire area towards energy efficiency that guarantees the stability and growth of businesses and at the same time greater environmental protection, relating in particular to water resources.
The object of the Protocol is, in fact, the Project for energy efficiency, ecological transition, mitigation and adaptation actions to climate change of the Industrial and Technological Pole of Ferrara, developed with the participation of all the companies present in the Industrial and Technological Pole and divided into six lines of intervention, through public-private working groups which saw the local administration, the University, businesses and trade unions working side by side.
Among the lines of intervention identified, a priority is the implementation of the Revamping of the water cycle of the Pole with actions aimed at the recovery and reuse of process and rainwater which allow a 53% reduction in the withdrawal of water for industrial use from the Po river .
The flow rate of water currently withdrawn to meet the production needs of the Industrial and Technological Center of Ferrara is approximately 17 million m3/year.
This is an important response to the water emergency that has affected the whole country in recent years and in particular Emilia Romagna and is, today, one of the most serious and evident effects of climate change, which has received attention from the Ministry of Business and Made in Italy and of the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security as well as of the Emilia Romagna Region, through the department of Ecological Transition, Countering Climate Change and Environment and the department of Economic Development, Green Economy.
The signatory parties undertake to identify, through a technical table, potential financing lines and shared territorial policies to encourage the efficient use of water resources and to create favorable conditions for a more comprehensive energy transition towards renewable sources and the decarbonisation of production industrial, within the general framework of a rational and efficient use of energy. The objective is to lower the ‘basal metabolism’ of the entire production area, simultaneously increasing the attractiveness of the site, encouraging the expansion of already active settlements and the establishment of new realities, to support employment stability and its increase.
As proof of the strong territorial cohesion on shared objectives, the Protocol is signed by: Ministry of Business and Made in Italy, Ministry of Environment and Energy Safety, Municipality of Ferrara (proposing body), Emilia Romagna Region, Province of Ferrara, Confindustria Emilia, Federchimica, Cgil Ferrara, Cisl Ferrara, Ur Uil Emilia Romagna headquarters of Ferrara, University of Ferrara, District Authority of the Po Basin, Consorzio IntegratedFacility Management Scpa, Versalis Spa, Basell Poliolefine Italia Srl, Yara Italia Spa, Enipower Company Ferrara Srl, Taropol Srl, Centro Energia Ferrara Spa, Sapio Produzione Idrogeno Ossigeno Srl, General Cavi Spa.
“I thank all the bodies and institutions that allowed the signing of this important agreement, but I would like to address special thanks to councilor Alessandro Balboni who encouraged me to be present on this occasion – explains Minister Adolfo Urso – because it is about a great example for the other industrial and chemical centers of our nation, demonstrating that it is possible to govern the transition towards sustainability. Chemistry is a sector that belongs to the future. The Ferrara area is well aware of this, where a particularly worthy and innovative protocol has been signed to promote sustainable chemistry on this site, which favors industrial growth and the protection of the environment and employment. This protocol, aimed in particular at increasing the energy efficiency of industrial processes and reducing the consumption of the primary resource of water, is intended to set a precedent, to represent an example to be exported elsewhere and in other sectors, because it combines the transition and the its needs with the needs related to productive and social sustainability”.
“The protocol signed today is an excellent example of synergy between Mase and local entities. With conviction, I promoted the adhesion of this Ministry in consideration of the broad scope of the project: the production of renewable energy, the energy efficiency of buildings and production plants, the reduction of emissions, the circular economy. The Government’s action is aimed at sharing ambitious but also realistic and concrete solutions with the parties in view of the energy transition objectives”. Thus the Deputy Minister for the Environment and Energy Safety Vannia Gava, present at the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding for the relaunch of the Industrial and Technological Center of Ferrara.
