Our activities in Ravenna

The CO₂ capture and storage project

In Ravenna, we are implementing Ravenna CCS, an important project for the capture and storage of CO₂ (CCS) following the example of other activities of this type already which are already in place or being performed in Northern Europe. Due to its long mining activity, the Ravenna offshore offers great storage potential in its depleted fields. Initially, the carbon dioxide will be captured by Eni's natural gas processing plant in Casalborsetti, piped to the Porto Corsini Mare Ovest offshore platform, and injected into the depleted gas field of the same name. To carry out the studies and activities in preparation for this first phase, we have set up a joint venture with Snam.

In a second, fully operational phase, the capture of carbon dioxide from the hard-to-abate industries, i.e. steel, cement, ceramics and chemicals, is planned. This way, we will obtain a low-emission production cluster. 

Thanks to the admission of the Callisto integrated Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project to the European list of Projects of Common Interest (PCI Projects), the Ravenna CO₂ storage hub will play a key role in the creation of a high-tech international supply chain in the decarbonization sector. Admission to the CIP project list will enable the project, once it has completed the steps of the current process, which is expected to be concluded in 2024, to be eligible for the Connecting Europe Facility Fund (CEF), which is intended to provide non-reimbursable funding to support studies and the development of infrastructure for the reception, transport and storage of CO₂.

Furthermore, due to its potential, Ravenna CCS is participating in HERCCULES, an international research project that aims to accelerate the deployment of CO₂ capture, storage and reuse in Mediterranean Europe.

Natural gas production

Ravenna is part of the Northern Central District (DICS), dedicated to the almost exclusive production of natural gas from offshore platforms. The gas also feeds the Eni Power power plant that supplies energy to the industrial complex and mainly to the distribution network. In Emilia-Romagna, production activity has coexisted for decades with tourism, fishing and aquaculture, thanks to a monitoring and environmental protection system that is considered as a model worldwide. While gas extraction continues from active fields, decommissioned facilities are gradually being dismantled according to ministerial initiatives. A first batch of offshore structures will rolled out from 2023-2024. As part of decommissioning, we are also pursuing circular economy initiatives involving the reconversion of an old offshore platform into an artificial ecosystem suitable for colonisation by marine organisms, with the aim of creating a marine science park that will be supported by national research organisations.

Ponticelle: enhancement and revitalisation of the area

In Ravenna, through Eni Rewind, we are also involved in the environmental rehabilitation of brownfield sites. The flagship initiative is the Ponticelle project that we are implementing together with Hera, the Emilia-Romagna multi-utility. On completion of the clean-up activities, Ponticelle will become a hub for sustainable reclamation, waste exploitation and energy production from renewable sources. In concrete terms, the site will house a photovoltaic plant with a solar tracking system and storage lab, a centre for soil recovery through the use of microorganisms, and an advanced platform for industrial waste management based on energy and material recovery.