If we wanted to pinpoint the location where our sustainable development challenge began, it would definitely be Gela, a Site of national priority since 2000. It has 795 hectares onshore, about 17 hectares of which are owned by Eni Rewind while about 55 hectares are managed on behalf of ISAF (Industria Siciliana Acido Fosforico). This is where we laid the foundations of our circular project by building a 5 MW photovoltaic plant , which was completed in 2012, on top of the permanent safety intervention at the former phosphogypsum landfill belonging to ISAF. The site's origins date back to 1960 when, following the discovery of oil in the Gela subsoil, the petrochemical plant was built. Between 1967 and 1968, ISAF, which was owned by Ente Minerario Siciliano (48%) with Anic (26%) and Montedison (26%), started up the complex fertiliser, sulphuric acid, phosphoric acid and acrylonitrile plants. In the 1970s the assets of cracker, high-density polyethylene and chlorine cycle and derivatives were added.
The setting changed dramatically in the early 1990s. Many production activities were stopped and, following the failed Enimont operation, the ISAF shares held by Montedison and Anic were transferred to Enichem (Syndial from 2003, now Eni Rewind), which became the majority shareholder with 52% of the share capital. Remediation of the site began in 1999 and is managed by Eni’s environmental company, which also operates on behalf of Versalis, Enimed and Gela Refinery at the same site. The interventions include emergency and permanent safety measures, the remediation and monitoring of the multi-company groundwater together with the management of the groundwater treatment plant, soil remediation and the demolition of plants, warehouses and buildings located on island 1 (former chlor-alkali plant), island 2 (former dichloroethane plant), island 6 (former Agricoltura), island 10 (former ethylene oxide plant), island 17 (former acrylonitrile plant) and island 9 ISAF.
