A journey toward sustainable chemistry with a responsible approach to the planet Earth and future generations.
Altair Chemical pursues an environmental protection policy aimed at reducing direct and indirect atmospheric emissions, safeguarding precious water resources, and reducing the impact of its production activities through circular economy systems.
As water is an essential element in our industrial operations, we constantly monitor its quality and quantity through targeted controls and management procedures that aim to maximize recovery.
Where possible, water is returned to the environment after use. This practice is carried out at the Saline di Volterra plant, where 40% of the water being used is returned to the Botro Santa Marta River, and also at Pieve Vergonte, where the water is discharged back into the same water body it was originally withdrawn from.
Condensate water from processes is recovered and reused in other production activities due to its quality being comparable to demineralised water.
In the KOH flake plant, the water removed from the solution via evaporation is conveyed to a storage tank and reused in other company processes.
To reduce water consumption in the membrane electrolysis plant, evaporative towers have been installed to dissipate heat and cool the water.
This allows a 600 m³/h reduction in well water withdrawal, equivalent to a 10% reduction in total water consumption.
The circular approach drives the streamlining of production processes and innovation, promoting the recovery of energy, water, and raw materials. The integration of sustainable solutions reduces waste and emissions, enhancing operational efficiency and reducing environmental impact. The use of secondary raw materials and resource reuse within production cycles reinforces our commitment to a more responsible and competitive industrial model.
At the Saline di Volterra plant, the potassium carbonate production unit represents a circular economy model.
The flue gases from the high-efficiency gas turbine cogenerator are recovered to provide process hot air and CO₂ for the carbonation reaction:
2 KOH + CO₂ → K₂CO₃ + H₂O
This system enables the reuse of approximately 8,000 tons of CO₂ per year, avoiding the need for bottled gas and reducing methane consumption by 20%. With a production capacity of 80 tons/day, the plant exceeds the Best Available Techniques (BAT) benchmark, combining technological innovation and energy efficiency.
This project was awarded the Responsible Care Award – Federchimica 2025.
At the Saline di Volterra plant, the ferric chloride production unit is another virtuous example of circular economy.
A steelmaking waste—spent hydrochloric acid from pickling operations using Altair’s acid—is recovered and converted into high-quality ferric chloride, compliant with European standards for drinking water treatment.
Alongside this development, mill scale from iron processing is recovered and used as a raw material to produce technical-grade ferric chloride.
This project, which received the Sustainable Development Award in the Circular Economy category at Ecomondo 2024, demonstrates how an environmental challenge can be turned into a sustainable and valuable solution.
Emissions are frequently monitored and carefully controlled to ensure compliance with all site-specific regulatory limits. Odorous emissions are also tracked and periodically compared with environmental thresholds and odour threshold reference values.
At Saline di Volterra, 21 emission points are monitored, with an authorization governed by AIA no. 3528 of 15/03/18 issued by the Tuscany Region.
At Pieve Vergonte, 10 emission points are managed under environmental standards, regulated by AIA review decree no. 304 of 27/07/2021 issued by the Ministry for Ecological Transition.
