Presentation of the 2022 Sustainability Report of the Tuscan chemical sector

The ongoing commitment of chemical companies in the Tuscan region to collaborate and build lasting relationships based on mutual respect and trust, with the aim of integrating expectations into corporate strategies, continues. Today, Friday, November 24, the 2022 Sustainability Report of the Tuscan chemical sector was presented at the Innovation Center of the CR Foundation in Florence. The event was attended by the Regional Councilor for Economy and Productive Activities, Leonardo Marras, the President of Confindustria Toscana, Maurizio Bigazzi, the Central Technical-Scientific Director of Federchimica, Cristiana Gaburri, and the directors of ARPAT and IRPET, Pietro Rubellini and Nicola Sciclone, respectively. The sector is capable of generating an economic value of 60.9 billion euros with 5.8 billion euros invested in essentials for the ecological transition and 903 million euros for innovation expenses (of which 642 million are for research and development).

The 2022 Sustainability Report highlighted many shared values. It focused on the health and safety of workers, the protection of human rights, environmental preservation, with the belief that the growth and development of companies should prioritize the search for innovative solutions for the conscious use of natural resources and the continuous reduction of environmental impacts, as well as investments in relationships with communities and institutions, particularly benefiting the local territories.

Altair Chimica plays a leading role in the transition towards renewable energy sources. With 44% of its self-produced electricity, compared to the sector average of 31.5%, the Saline di Volterra plant contributes concretely to the fight against climate change while gaining an essential competitive factor. Over 60% of the total MWh produced in the sector through on-site photovoltaic plants are by Altair, to which is also added a significant amount of energy purchased through PPA (Power Purchase Agreement) contracts.

A focus on natural resources is also evident in the production processes that extensively use secondary raw materials, such as in the case of Ferric Chloride where exhausted acid and steel mill scale, thanks to innovative processes, are recovered and become productive where others see only waste. Or in the production of Potassium Carbonate (K2CO3) where combustion fumes from the turbogas are recovered to provide hot process air, reducing CO2 emissions.

Altair Chimica is a company sensitive to sustainability issues – from the environment to the territory, social issues, research, and productivity for economic aspects – believing in its employees to whom it has guaranteed a 5% salary increase since December 2022 on top of new union agreements to combat inflation. Or perhaps, also because Altair Chimica is a company with a pronounced female side for the sector with 14.4% of women hired. Another feather in the cap of a Tuscan company – proudly part of Esseco Industrial – with clear, straightforward, and determined values.”