WOODRIDGE, Ill. — Versalis, the chemical subsidiary of Eni, and Elevance Renewable Sciences Inc., a producer of specialty chemicals from natural oils, have signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a strategic partnership to jointly develop and scale a new metathesis technology to produce bio-chemicals from vegetable oils.

Versalis and Elevance intend to focus on jointly developing and scaling new catalysts, leveraging the significant progress of this technology that has been already accomplished by Elevance.

In addition, the partners will assess the design and construction of the first world-scale ethylene metathesis-based production that will utilize renewable oils at the Versalis Porto Marghera site.

This will also take advantage of existing infrastructures and production streams.

The market applications of the future bio-chemicals production will be personal care, detergents and cleaners, bio-lubricants and oilfield chemicals.

Elevance will bring to the partnership proprietary know-how regarding metathesis and associated engineering with the use of vegetable oils in producing chemicals for applications.

Headquartered in Woodridge, Ill., Elevance Renewable Sciences Inc. has one facility in Indonesia and plans to begin producing its chemicals at a facility in Natchez in the coming years.