Eni SPA has announced that it is awaiting government approval to begin construction of its third biorefinery in Italy, which it plans to build in the port town of Livorno.
“The project, first announced in October 2022 and followed by an Environmental Impact Assessment request in November 2022, is awaiting official authorizations and includes the construction of three new facilities for the production of hydrogenated biofuels: one biogenic raw material pretreatment unit; a 500,000 ton/year Ecofining plant; and a facility to produce hydrogen from methane gas“said the state-controlled Italian energy company in a recent press release.
Ecofining is a technology developed by Eni and Honeywell UOP to convert biogenic feedstocks into biofuels. Eni currently has an annual production capacity of 1.65 million tonnes (MMtpa), but its goal is to increase the capacity of its biorefineries to more than 5 MMtpa as part of its initiatives to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. .
Third biorefinery in Italy: a transformative project
The proposed project aims to transform the Livorno industrial estate, located in the Tuscany region on the northeastern Italian coast. The two biorefineries in operation in Italy were adapted from fossil fuel refineries .
The company said it has now begun to close the traditional Livorno refinery. ” The distribution of fuel in the area will be guaranteed through the import of finished and semi-finished products ,” he noted.
” Preparatory work for the construction of the three new biorefinery plants is underway and construction will begin following approval by regulatory authorities ,” Eni stated, adding that they are expected to come into operation in 2026.
The support of local leaders was manifested in Eni’s announcement of intentions in October 2022. The President of Tuscany, Eugenio Giani, expressed his gratitude for Eni’s decision to explore the transformation of the Livorno refinery into a biorefinery, focusing on a sustainable energy transition in both environmental and market terms. The mayor of Livorno, Luca Salvetti, highlighted that the project combines industrial objectives, environmental compatibility and job stability.
The Livorno biorefinery plans to process various biogenic feedstocks, mainly plant residues and waste, for the production of hydrogenated vegetable oil (AVH), AVH naphtha and biological liquefied petroleum gas. Eni has registered an HVO biodiesel called HVOlution, which the company says can reduce emissions by up to 90% compared to the European Union’s benchmark fossil fuel blend. The company’s biofuel production is carried out through its sustainable mobility brand Enilive, which calls itself the second largest producer of HVO hydrogenated biofuels in Europe and the third largest globally.
The Livorno project represents the second confirmation of biorefineries by Eni this year. Previously, the company announced a partnership with LG Chem Ltd. for the development of a biorefinery in South Korea, with a final investment decision expected by the end of 2024.
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