We foster a responsible approach to the efficient use of water and the protection of marine and freshwater ecosystems.
Contributing to the conservation of water resources is a fundamental part of Eni’s sustainability objectives. Our work in this area involves establishing and executing a range of measures for responsible and efficient water management, focusing on operational sites situated in areas with water scarcity and maintaining ongoing surveillance of our activities within the region. We take steps to reduce the withdrawal of freshwater and to substitute it with water from secondary sources (such as rainwater, reclaimed groundwater, treated wastewater, or desalinated water), instead of relying on primary sources (like groundwater, surface water or aqueducts) in an attempt to minimise the effects on local communities and ecosystems. Eni’s position on water identifies the principles that guide us towards strengthening the commitments set out in the CEO Water Mandate, to which we have adhered since 2019, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Transparency in pursuing these objectives is integral to all our actions and we apply this principle for any company, adhering to the main ESG indicators.
Mapping our journey towards water positivity, we are taking a significant step forward in protecting this vital resource. During 2024, we conducted a pilot study at one of our operational sites to verify the applicability of the PWI approach to the oil and gas sector. In 2025, we analysed three priority sites to identify impacts and opportunities in line with PWI principles. We will now assess the feasibility of these principles. The sites, which we will prioritise for intervention, account for over 90% of the total withdrawal of high-quality fresh water in water-stressed regions as of 2023. Water positivity involves ensuring that, at the river basin level, water stewardship initiatives generate benefits that outweigh the impacts associated with the presence of an operational site, which may be related to water withdrawals required for industrial processes or the quality of water returned to the environment. Inspired by Positive Water Impact, activities to protect water resources are structured in three pillars: minimising impacts, balancing the water footprint, and collaboration with the local community. Each pillar addresses the challenges related to the three dimensions of water stress: availability, quality and accessibility. This approach supports Eni’s commitment to achieving UN SDG 6, aimed at ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation facilities.
Water availability refers to the volumetric abundance or lack of water in a basin. It can be related to water scarcity, typically calculated as the ratio between human water consumption and the water supply available in each area.
Measurement of the suitability of water for a particular use based on specific physical, chemical, and biological characteristics.
Every individual has the right to water and sanitation services that are physically accessible within or in the immediate vicinity of their home, school, workplace or health institution.
A plant for the reuse of treated urban wastewater is now operational. The reclaimed water is used to meet the industrial purposes of the biorefinery.
Started in 2021, the seawater desalination plant has made it possible to meet the water needs of the field by completely eliminating fresh water withdrawals.
Since 2015, water from GTP has been conveyed to the demineralisation plant and since 2018 it has been fed (together with sea water) into the desalination/demineralisation plant.
The “Blue Water” project for the development of a proprietary technology for the use of the production water from the COVA (authorised in 2024, plant start-up expected in 2027).
A wastewater reuse plant has been operating since 2006. Since 2011, recycled water has been used for industrial purposes. Desalinated seawater is also used at the site.
Closed water cooling cycles, air cooling circuits, desalination and groundwater treatment plants, advanced treatments for micro-pollutants, water reuse sections.
We work to safeguard water and to reduce fresh water withdrawals through the efficient and integrated management of the water needed for operational activities.
We prioritise water-stressed areas and through the reuse of low-quality wastewater (from domestic/industrial activities), we reduce high-quality withdrawals at:
We are committed to making the most of water from remediation activities (which requires treatment to remove pollutants before it can be returned to the environment or safely reused) through processes that enable the water to be reused. One example is the Eni Rewind initiatives at the Porto Torres, Priolo and Gela sites, where contaminated groundwater is treated for industrial use.
Production water refers to water naturally present in the field and associated with the extraction of hydrocarbons, which may contain contaminants (oils, heavy metals or other harmful compounds). We are committed to treating and reusing production water in this respect. Here are some examples:
One of the levers to reduce freshwater withdrawals is to replace them with desalinated water. Desalinated water is fresh water obtained through the desalination process, which involves removing salt and impurities from seawater or other high-salinity sources.
For example, the use of desalinators in Egypt has made it possible to:
We work to safeguard water and to reduce fresh water withdrawals through the efficient and integrated management of the water needed for operational activities.
We prioritise water-stressed areas and through the reuse of low-quality wastewater (from domestic/industrial activities), we reduce high-quality withdrawals at:
We are committed to making the most of water from remediation activities (which requires treatment to remove pollutants before it can be returned to the environment or safely reused) through processes that enable the water to be reused. One example is the Eni Rewind initiatives at the Porto Torres, Priolo and Gela sites, where contaminated groundwater is treated for industrial use.
Production water refers to water naturally present in the field and associated with the extraction of hydrocarbons, which may contain contaminants (oils, heavy metals or other harmful compounds). We are committed to treating and reusing production water in this respect. Here are some examples:
One of the levers to reduce freshwater withdrawals is to replace them with desalinated water. Desalinated water is fresh water obtained through the desalination process, which involves removing salt and impurities from seawater or other high-salinity sources.
For example, the use of desalinators in Egypt has made it possible to:
Regeneration and reuse of water are central to the mission of Eni’s environmental company, which carries out groundwater remediation through the use of increasingly innovative technological solutions.
The Eni-CNR Centre “Ipazia D'Alessandria” in Metaponto, Basilicata, aims to promote the development and application of solutions to make water resource management in agriculture more efficient and sustainable, strengthening the resilience of agricultural systems, increasing productivity and reducing consumption and dependency on conventional supply sources. Attention is particularly paid to places suffering from water shortages and climate change, including Mediterranean countries and other strategic areas marked by water stress, including Horn of Africa, the Sahel and the Middle East. Research focused on both the reduction of water consumption in agriculture based on innovative practices and technologies, and on enhancing water availability by using non-conventional water resources such as refined urban wastewater. At the same time, the long-term effects of draining groundwater in coastal areas have been studied with a view to supporting the sustainable planning of water resources in future scenarios. These initiatives are an integral part of the strategies in place to promote more efficient, resilient and sustainable water use.
The joint centre has developed its activities in three main areas of research and innovation:
These activities confirm Eni’s ambition to achieve water positivity by 2050. The main projects developed in each area are described below.
The research focused on optimising water use in agriculture, paying particular attention to reducing irrigation water usage. This is achieved by taking an integrated approach that combines agronomic, biotechnological-genetic and engineering methods, all of which are based on the concept of 'water-saving agriculture’. In particular, the research aims to improve the efficiency with which plants absorb water by studying the role of beneficial micro-organisms, such as bacteria and fungi that are naturally associated with the root system, and by screening and selecting plant genotypes that are more tolerant of abiotic stresses. To achieve this target, precision agriculture and innovative, automated and non-invasive digital platforms using drones and intelligent data analysis systems for high-capacity field phenotyping were used. These systems are used to quantitatively assess crop growth and optimise irrigation through the real-time monitoring of plant and soil conditions as well as the response to water stress. The approach was validated in eleven field experiments, during which the crops were subjected to reduced irrigation to simulate water shortage scenarios and assess the physiological response of the plants. The analysis of the physiological and agronomic responses of the different genotypes, the characterisation of the microbial consortia naturally present in the soil and among the roots (in therhizobiom) and their application in subsequent campaigns as growth promoters (PGPR, Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria), as well as the use of innovative biostimulants, helped to define optimal water resource management, at the same time preserving the quantity and quality of the products obtained.
The experiment concerned the development of new technologies for treating civil and agro-industrial wastewater with the objective of reusing the treated water for agricultural purposes. Recovering and improving the large volumes of purified water discharged from sewage treatment plants can not only help to mitigate the recurrent water crises affecting the agricultural sector but can also help to generate a favourable CO₂ equivalent emission balance and, depending on the technologies used, could contribute to carbon sequestration in the soil and the reduction in demand for artificial fertilisers. Furthermore, wastewater is often the most readily available - if not the only - resource in many arid areas, with consistent flow rates throughout the year and limited alternative uses. An innovative, experimental demonstration plant was built for the project with a potential of around 350 population equivalent, for the treatment and recovery of wastewater for agricultural purposes. The plant is in operation at the municipal sewage treatment plant in Ferrandina and runs alongside the one built a few years ago by the School of Engineering at the University of Basilicata (an Ipazia D'Alessandria Centre partner). The effluents, monitored in periodic quality campaigns, can be recovered and used in experimental fields for irrigating oil crops in order to compare the effects of the use of purified wastewater to those of spring water irrigation.
The aim of this research was to develop advanced tools for identifying the main risks linked to the exploitation of underground water resources in order to sustainably manage coastal groundwater. In particular, the risk of salt-water intrusion, which can gradually lead to salinisation of groundwater with a consequent reduction in the available volume of fresh groundwater, as well as the risk of subsidence associated with non-sustainable groundwater use, were studied. The project developed a numerical model of coastal aquifers on the Metaponto Plain to simulate their behaviour in response to varying environmental conditions and outflow rates, primarily for irrigation purposes. The model helps to guide decisions towards a more efficient and sustainable water use, preventing the main environmental risks linked to groundwater exploitation. The modelling was integrated and validated through modelling and sampling campaigns carried out in this area, helping to improve the understanding of the hydro-geological dynamics of coastal groundwater and supporting the definition of management strategies based on solid scientific evidence that can guarantee the long-term protection and availability of water resources.
A publication that showcases Eni’s projects to optimize water use, promote reuse, and ensure access to safe water in the areas where we operate. A journey through innovation, responsibility, and tangible impact to safeguard a resource essential for the future.
view moreWe support initiatives in the energy sector, such as access to electricity and domestic gas production, and the promotion of initiatives to support communities. The following projects are active in the field of water access:
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