Eni progresses permit process for Its 2nd biorefinery in Sicily

Eni SpA announced that it has begun the authorization process for an Environmental Impact Assessment to establish a biorefinery and a chemical recycling facility in Sicily, following approval from Italy’s Environment and Energy Security Ministry.

Project Overview

• Production Capacity: The Priolo project is designed to produce up to 500,000 metric tons per annum (MMtpa) of hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
• Location: This facility will be constructed on the site of an Eni ethylene plant that is set to be decommissioned.
• Previous Biorefinery: This marks Eni’s second biorefinery in Sicily, following the Gela plant, which started biofuel production in 2019 after being converted from a petrochemical site.

Feedstock and Technology

• Feedstock Sources: The Priolo biorefinery will primarily utilize vegetable waste, oils, and animal fats.
• Project Components: In addition to the Ecofining™ plant, the project will feature:
  • A biogenic feedstock pre-treatment unit
  • A hydrogen production plant

Chemical Recycling Unit

• Capacity: The chemical recycling unit will have a processing capacity of 40,000 MMtpa and is expected to produce approximately 32,000 MMtpa of pyrolysis oil.
• Technology Used: The recycling facility will implement Eni’s proprietary Hoop technology from its chemicals business, Versalis SpA, which is based on the pyrolysis of mixed plastic packaging waste.
• Commercial Launch: The Priolo project represents the first commercial-scale deployment of this technology, following the closure of a demonstration plant at the Versalis facility in Mantua in June.

Future Plans

Eni recently secured approval from the ministry to transform several units at the Sannazzaro de’ Burgondi refinery in Pavia into a biorefinery.

• Operational Flexibility: This refinery will maintain traditional operations while adding a new processing capacity of 550,000 MMtpa for biofuel feedstock, mainly derived from waste and residues.
• Projected Start: This biorefinery is expected to commence operations in 2028 and will have the capability to produce both SAF and HVO diesel.

Growth Aspirations

Eni aims to expand its biorefining capacity from the current 1.65 million metric tons per annum (MMtpa) to over three million by 2028 and more than five MMtpa by 2030, with an anticipated production of up to two MMtpa of SAF by 2030.

Currently, Eni’s biofuels production is sourced from two plants in Italy—Venice and Gela—and a facility in Louisiana, operated through its 50 percent-owned joint venture, St Bernard Renewables LLC.