The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Eni signed a 15-year loan for €500 million to convert selected units of Eni’s Sannazzaro de’ Burgondi refinery, located in the Italian province of Pavia, into a biorefinery. The agreement was signed by EIB Vice-President Gelsomina Vigliotti and Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi.
There is a further important strategic investment in biorefining for Eni, the Italian petrochemical giant. In addition to the Priolo project, the final investment decision (FID) has also been approved for Eni’s plan to convert certain units of the Sannazzaro de’ Burgondi refinery (Pavia, Lombardy) into a biorefinery.
Both projects represent a significant step forward in developing Enilive’s biofuel production capacity. The two biorefineries will be completed by 2028 and will offer maximum flexibility in producing both HVO diesel (Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil) and SAF-biojet, Sustainable Aviation Fuel.
The new biorefinery in Sannazzaro de’ Burgondi will not affect the plant’s existing traditional fuels production capacity. Instead, it will introduce additional biofuel production from renewable raw materials, further diversifying the range of products available to the market.
The project involves the conversion of the Hydrocracker (HDC2) unit using Ecofining™ technology as well as the construction of a pre-treatment unit for waste and residues, which are the main feedstocks used by Enilive to produce HVO biofuels. The hydrogen required will be supplied by existing plants, while supporting infrastructure, including logistics and connections to airports in Lombardy, will be adapted for the new production setup. The new biorefinery in Sannazzaro de’ Burgondi will have the capacity to produce 550,000 tonnes/year of feedstock, with the flexibility to produce SAF-biojet and HVO diesel.
The Priolo biorefinery, for which preparatory activities are underway ahead of the award of procurement and construction contracts for the new units, will have a capacity of 500,000 tonnes/year and will also have extensive operational flexibility for the production of HVO diesel or SAF-biojet, in line with market dynamics and demands. The Priolo biorefinery is part of Versalis’ basic chemicals transformation plan and will be built within the existing site, replacing the cracking plant that ceased operations last year and that is currently being dismantled.
Through Enilive, Eni is the second largest producer of hydrogenated biofuels HVO, both diesel and biojet (SAF), in Europe and plans to increase its biorefining capacity from the current 1.65 million tonnes/year to over 3 million in 2028 and over 5 million in 2030, with the potential to produce up to 2 million tonnes of SAF by 2030.
Eni and Q8 Italy partner for a major strategic investment in the ongoing project for the construction of a new biorefinery in Priolo, Sicily. The transformation plan for the Versalis site in Priolo received formal approval from Eni and Kuwait Petroleum Corporation Board of Directors, which follows the official binding offer submitted by Q8.
Eni and the Bioenergy Association for Sustainable Development, affiliated with the Ministry of Environment of the Arab Republic of Egypt, signed in Cairo a cooperation agreement to prepare a comprehensive feasibility study for establishing biogas production units based on the treatment of animal and agricultural waste. The signing ceremony took place in the presence of Eng. Karim Badawi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, and Dr. Manal Awad, Minister of Local Development and Acting Minister of Environment.
Eni and BMW Italia signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to develop joint initiatives aimed at supporting the energy transition of the road transport sector. In particular, this agreement seeks to integrate biofuels with an increasingly broad offering of electric mobility services. HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil), the diesel biofuel produced by Enilive from 100% renewable raw materials (In accordance with the EU Renewable Energy Directive), represents a solution already available that contribute to transport decarbonization. Pure HVO can currently be used by validated engines and is distributed through existing infrastructure.
Eni, through its subsidiary Eni Natural Energies (ENE), and the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food Production of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore new opportunities for collaboration in the agricultural and agro-industrial sectors for the production of vegetable oil for bio-refining use.
Eni and KKR have closed the transaction contemplated by the investment agreement, announced last February, for the increase of KKR’s stake in Enilive through the purchase of Enilive’s shares from Eni representing 5% of the share capital, for a consideration of approximately 601 million euros.
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Eni and MSC Group President signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at developing joint initiatives in the field of sustainability and energy transition. The two Italian companies – the first is an integrated energy company committed to the energy transition towards carbon neutrality by 2050, the second is a world leader in transport and cruise services – intend to extend the scope of their already fruitful business relationship to a broader geographic context and, in particular, to areas relating to sustainability and decarbonization of their operations.
As first announced at the presentation of its 2024-2027 Strategic Plan, Eni has finalized its transformation and relaunch plan for its chemicals business, also as part of its decarbonization path. The transformation plan involves about 2 billion euros of investment and aims to reduce emissions by approximately 1 million tonnes of CO2, currently about 40% of Versalis’ emissions in Italy.
As first announced at the presentation of its 2024-2027 Strategic Plan, Italian multinational company Eni has finalized its transformation and relaunch plan for its chemicals business, also as part of its decarbonization path. The transformation plan involves about 2 billion euros of investment and aims to reduce emissions by approximately 1 million tonnes of CO2, currently about 40% of Versalis’ emissions in Italy.
IL BIOECONOMISTA 