Ignazio Arces on Versalis’ Circular and Sustainable Transformation

Ignazio Arces, Head of Operations at Versalis, outlines the company’s shift from fossil-based chemicals to bio-based, recycled, and specialty platforms. He highlights progress in advanced recycling, bioplastics, and digitalisation, while stressing the need for systemic collaboration to scale solutions.

Looking to 2030, Arces envisions Versalis as a leader in sustainable chemistry, combining operational excellence with partnerships across the value chain to drive Europe’s climate goals and industrial competitiveness.

Versalis has been undergoing a strong transformation towards sustainability and innovation. Could you share some of the key milestones or projects that best illustrate this journey?

Our transformation is based on two pillars. First, the restructuring of the basic chemicals business, which given mainly the high cost of feedstock in Europe, energy, and economies of scale, is not competitive in Europe. Second, the development of new bio-, circular-, and specialized chemical platforms.

Partnerships and innovation ecosystems are key to success: working with pioneers, like Novamont, in bioplastics to anchor circular economy solutions in Europe. It’s not just technical change, it’s cultural. Sustainability is now at the heart of how we operate.

Circular economy and advanced recycling are central to the industry’s decarbonisation pathway. What progress has Versalis made in this area, and what challenges remain to scaling these solutions?

We’ve made significant progress, launching chemical and mechanical recycling projects, developing bio-based polymers, and expanding our recycling footprint. The challenge now is scaling.

Three obstacles stand out: ensuring feedstock availability from the value chain, maintaining economic competitiveness against virgin fossil-based materials, and navigating policy fragmentation.

Success depends on systemic collaboration, from municipalities managing waste streams to brand owners demanding recycled content.

How do you see the role of the petrochemicals sector evolving in the next decade, particularly in supporting both industrial competitiveness and Europe’s climate goals?

Petrochemicals will remain essential, but their carbon profile must be reinvented. By 2035, I see three big shifts:

A diversified feedstock base, moving from fossil to bio-based, recycled, and CO₂-derived materials. Becoming a platform for green technologies, supplying materials for wind, solar, EVs, and sustainable packaging.

Full alignment with Europe’s climate targets, proving that petrochemicals are not just part of the problem but a core enabler of the solution.

As Head of Operations, where do you see the biggest opportunities for operational excellence to support sustainability—whether through digitalisation, process optimisation, or energy efficiency?

Operational excellence is often the unsung hero of sustainability. For us, the biggest opportunities lie in:

• Digital twins and predictive analytics to improve reliability and reduce energy waste.
• Process intensification to cut emissions per ton produced.

Closing the well-known “energy efficiency gap” with practical solutions, something I’ve been passionate about since my early research on predictive maintenance. Sometimes small optimisations, repeated at scale, make the largest impact.

The shift towards net-zero requires close collaboration between refiners, chemical companies, technology providers, and policymakers. What role do you see Versalis playing in these partnerships?

The transition is a team sport, and Versalis is committed to being a bridge-builder. With refiners, we’re working to integrate low-carbon fuels and chemicals. With technology providers, we’re scaling breakthrough recycling and green chemistry solutions. And with policymakers, we’re advocating for frameworks that reward innovation while safeguarding industrial competitiveness.

No one can win this race alone; collaboration is the only way forward.

Looking ahead to 2030, what is your vision for Versalis’ position in the global energy and chemicals landscape?

By 2030, I see Versalis as a globally recognised leader in new bio-, circular-, and specialized chemical platforms. An agile operator, with a streamlined, digital, and efficient industrial footprint. And a partner of choice, trusted by customers for sustainable solutions, by policymakers for credible dialogue, and by communities for responsible leadership.

In short, we aim to show how a traditional industry can transform with courage, competence, and a humanistic approach to leadership.