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Eni confirmed its decision to build Italy’s third bio-refinery in Livorno. The project, first announced in October 2022 and followed by an application for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in November 2022, is awaiting official authorisations and includes the construction of three new facilities for the production of hydrogenated biofuels: a biogenic feedstock pre-treatment unit; a 500,000 tonnes/year Ecofining™ plant; and a facility to produce hydrogen from methane gas.
The conversion of the Livorno industrial site, following other successful conversions in Porto Marghera (2014) and Gela (2019), confirms Eni’s decarbonization strategy, which aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and increase bio-refining capacity from the current 1.65 million tonnes/year to over 5 million tonnes/year by 2030.
In line with the strategic decision to convert the Livorno refinery, future-proofing the site in terms of production and employment, Eni has stopped importing crude oil and initiated the shutdown of the lubricants production lines and Topping plant. Fuel distribution in the area will be guaranteed through the import of finished and semi-finished products.
Preparatory work for the construction of the three new bio-refining plants is underway, with construction to commence following regulatory approval. Completion and commissioning are expected by 2026.
The plants will process various biogenic feedstocks, mainly vegetable waste and residue, to produce HVO diesel, HVO naphtha and bio-LPG. Eni, through Enilive, is the second-largest producer of hydrogenated biofuels (HVO) in Europe and the third-largest in the world.
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Eni’s growth strategy is driven by the increasing demand in Europe and Italy for biofuels in the mobility sector, both to meet the emission reduction targets set out in the recently approved RED III (Renewable Energy Directive) and to comply with Italian legislation requiring the introduction of pure biofuels. Forecasts predict a 65% increase in demand for hydrogenated biofuels globally between 2024 and 2028.