Bionergy, energy from biogenic raw materials

Farmer hand holding castor seeds

Biofuels and biomethane production

We are present in the bioenergy sector with investments in the production of biofuels and biomethane, which is increasingly obtained from scrap and waste.  Eni produces biofuels from various raw materials. Today our bio-refineries are fed mostly by waste raw materials resulting from used cooking oil, animal fat and other biomass, which allows us to produce Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) biofuels capable of reducing CO2eq emissions, depending on the feedstock used, by between 60 and 90% (calculated over the entire value chain) compared to the reference fossil mix, pursuant to the RED II Directive (2018/2001). Eni stopped supplying palm oil to its Venice and Gela bio-refineries as early as October 2022. 

Highlights

Biofuels will be increasingly present in our energy mix thanks to a plan to expand plant capacity. 

1.1 mln
ton/y

total biorefining capacity in 2022


>3 mln
ton/y

total biorefining capacity by 2025


>5 mln
ton/y

total biorefining capacity by 2030


1.1 mln
ton/y

total biorefining capacity in 2022

>3 mln
ton/y

total biorefining capacity by 2025

>5 mln
ton/y

total biorefining capacity by 2030

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AGRI-FEEDSTOCK- PORTFOLIO OF VERTICAL INTEGRATION PROJECTS

From the solutions of our Research Centers, we develop biofuels

With low-carbon production technologies and methods, we produce fuels that contribute to reducing emissions in transport.

Biofuels for diesel vehicles and aircraft

Bioenergy contributes to making mobility more sustainable by providing fuels for road transport, as well as for the aviation industry

 

Our flagship biofuel for automotive use is HVO or Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil, which we obtain in our biorefineries in Venice and Gela thanks to EcofiningTM technology. This product can also be used pure in normal diesel engines, and is already distributed in a 15% blend in Eni Diesel+ premium fuel.

 

Another type of fuel we produce and distribute are SAF or Sustainable Aviation Fuels. This line involves two plants: the Gela biorefinery and the refinery in Livorno. In Gela we first process the raw materials, which are also supplied by the agri-hub in Kenya, and obtain an initial biofuel. This is then sent to the Livorno refinery and distilled to make Eni Biojet, which can be used in aircraft mixed together with conventional fuel.

 

Through Enilive (Eni Sustainable Mobility), we manage biorefining activities, biomethane production, and all smart mobility solutions.

The agri-business embodies Eni's approach to an energy transition with a strong innovative component, combined with a strong focus on the social dimension.
Claudio Descalzi Chief Executive Officer

Agri-hubs in the projects launched in Africa

To ensure an increasingly sustainable supply for our bio-refineries, we have launched an agri-feedstock project: we are coordinating the cultivation of non-food plants on degraded land and promoting the introduction of second-harvest crops, regenerative agriculture projects that compete neither with food production nor with forest resources in some African countries. In the same countries, we co-ordinate the collection of waste materials, which are useful for producing biofuel, from agriculture, livestock breeding and the agri-food, catering and tourism industry. The products are collected in our "agri-hubs" (facilities in Kenya and Côte d’Ivoire are already active) and are then processed in our bio-refineries and contribute to the production of HVO biofuels, initially with a limited role but then increasingly important.

 

In addition to cultivation, each of these projects envisages the creation of a centre for pressing crops and producing oil, as well as activating a series of services for farmers such as access to mechanisation, the distribution of seeds and fertilisers, training and technical assistance. The model provides that processing by-products are also exploited and transformed into feed for livestock or fertilisers for soil, contributing to the improvement of agricultural production for the domestic market. The regeneration of land thanks to the cultivation of biomass also contributes to the socio-economic development of the area. Farmers are actually fully in charge of the agricultural production at the agri-hubs. 

Highlights

The main goals we want to achieve through agri-hubs in Africa. 

200 k
ton

target for produced vegetable oil by 2026 in Kenya


200 k
families

to benefit from agri-hubs in Kenya by 2030


30 k
ton/y

capacity of the agri-hub under construction in the Republic of the Congo


200 k
ton

target for produced vegetable oil by 2026 in Kenya

200 k
families

to benefit from agri-hubs in Kenya by 2030

30 k
ton/y

capacity of the agri-hub under construction in the Republic of the Congo

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New technologies for agri-hubs thanks to collaborations with suppliers

We involve our suppliers in the development of new technologies to extract vegetable oil and produce fertiliser and fuel to be then used in agri-hubs.

Biomethane: another way to exploit agricultural waste in a circular perspective

In the bioenergy sector, we are also active in the production of biomethane through the company Enibioch4in. Due to it also being obtained from organic, agricultural and livestock waste according to the principles of the circular economy, this fuel can be used to produce electricity from renewable sources, distributed for domestic heating or used as fuel for transport, helping to expand our range of solutions for sustainable mobility.

Highlights

Our biomethane plants and objectives.

21

installations for generating electricity from biomethane


1

waste treatment plant


50 mln

biomethane we aim to feed into the grid


21

installations for generating electricity from biomethane

1

waste treatment plant

50 mln

biomethane we aim to feed into the grid

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