The Hera Group is moving swiftly towards the circular economy of the future and has inaugurated, in Imola (Bologna), at the heart of the country’s Motor Valley, the first plant of its kind in Europe, capable of regenerating carbon fibre on an industrial scale. It is called FIB3R, a name that reflects the 3 R's that stand at the basis of the project: recover, reduce, reuse. Carbon fibre is thus recovered and reused, reducing the use of virgin fibre and therefore the environmental impact that would be required to produce it.
There is one important competitive advantage: the fibre regenerated from FIB3R retains the virgin fibre’s characteristic lightness and high strength, guaranteeing - through a state-of-the-art pyrogasification process - that the regenerated product is ready to be reused, rewoven and/or impregnated, for the high-performance purposes for which this type of material is intended. The number of industrial sectors interested in these outstanding features is increasing, ranging from automotive to aerospace, nautical, furniture, textiles and fashion in the broadest sense, only to give a few examples.
The Hera Group’s commitment to advancing the ecological transition, as well as the expected increase in demand for carbon fibre over the next few years, have led it to anticipate this megatrend, accepting the challenge of applying it to this material as well, on an industrial scale. This will reinforce the virtuous path towards the circular economy that has been the basis of its strategy for years, combining economic growth with environmental sustainability. A path that places itself at the heart of the Italian Circular Valley, as this very territory has been developing material recovery initiatives with circular solutions for over forty years.
This path is the right one, as confirmed by the interest of the European Union, which has allocated FIB3R financing coming to more than 2.2 million euro as part of NextGenerationEU for its innovative technology and the strategic importance of the materials processed. The total investment planned by the Hera Group to build the Imola plant amounts to 8 million euro.
At present, the plant is expected to produce 160 tonnes of recycled carbon fibre each year, with energy savings coming to 75% compared to virgin fibre.
“FIB3R is the first plant of its kind in Europe able to recycle carbon fibre. It is aimed at promoting short and circular supply chains, in line with the strategy of making our served areas more competitive and resilient,” states Orazio Iacono, CEO of the Hera Group. “FIB3R is also a concrete example of how the Hera Group is able to combine technological innovation and sustainability, by exploiting the cross fertilisation between the advanced skills of the Group’s various sectors. Recovering carbon fibre not only reduces the environmental impact of this waste, but also creates new market opportunities in strategic industrial sectors. Investing in this kind of circular infrastructure increases the resilience of production chains, reduces dependence on imports of critical raw materials and, at the same time, creates value through sustainable business models. With over 100 advanced plants and 5 new facilities under construction, we have consolidated our country’s largest and most modern set of plants for material treatment and recovery, strengthening our role as a reference operator in the sector and a driving force for the circular economy in Italy. Our Business Plan confirms this strategy, with 2 billion euro in investments for 2024-2028 destined for regenerating resources, a commitment intended to generate value for all our stakeholders.”
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14 March 2025
