The Italian energy company Eni is moving forward with the conversion of its industrial infrastructure in Sicily, after initiating the environmental authorization process to build a new biorefinery and a chemical recycling plant. chemical recycling plant in Priolo. in Priolo.
The integrated biorefinery project
This complex will be located on the site of the existing Versalis ethylene plant and will integrate specialized technologies such as Ecofining for biofuel production and Hoop for chemical recycling. It is also planned that the ethylene plant will be progressively dismantled.
The future biorefinery will have a capacity of up to 500,000 tons per year and will use vegetable waste, animal fats and oils as feedstock. In addition, the production target will be oriented towards renewable HVO diesel and sustainable aviation fuels. sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) (SAF) for road, sea and rail transport.
The chemical recycling plant will integrate the Hoop technology developed by Versalis in collaboration with SRS. This technique is based on the pyrolysis of mixed plastic waste, with a processing capacity of 40,000 tons per year and an estimated production of 32,000 tons of pyrolysis oil, which can be used as raw material for new plastic products.
This project involves the installation of a biomass pretreatment unit and a hydrogen production plant as part of the clean energy integration scheme. The development will allow Eni to consolidate its position in the renewable fuels sector and advance towards its climate objectives.
The strategic program was formalized in March 2025 through an agreement with the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy(MIMIT), and the facility is expected to be operational by the end of 2028.
The Priolo plant will be Eni’s second refinery in Sicily, following the start-up of the Gela plant in 2019. This industrial conversion model increases the company’s commitment to waste valorization and circular economy, with applications in critical sectors such as transport and the chemical industry.
Source and photo: Eni
