Bionergy, energy from biogenic raw materials

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 biorefineries 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 biorefineries as early as October 2022. 

Through Enilive, we manage biorefining activities, biomethane production, and all smart mobility solutions.

To ensure an increasingly sustainable supply for our biorefineries, we have developed a vertical integration model for cultivation and seed pressing projects in various countries for the production of vegetable oils (agrifeedstock), with the aim of reaching over 700,000 tonnes by 2027, corresponding to more than 35% of the feedstock processed in Italian biorefineries.

Through 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, such as Mozambique. 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 a network of "agri-hubs" and are then processed in our biorefineries 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. Through this model, we ensure that farmers can bring their products into the market without compromising land access.

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.