Eni greenlights another renewable diesel, SAF project at Italian refinery
- Eni S.p.A.
- 3 hours ago
- 2 min read
Eni announced Feb. 25 that, in addition to its Priolo project in Sicily, a final-investment decision (FID) has also been approved for the Italian supermajor’s plan to convert certain units of the Sannazzaro de’ Burgondi refinery in Pavia, Italy, in the Lombardy region, into a biorefinery.
Both projects represent a significant step forward in developing Enilive’s biofuel production capacity.
The two biorefineries will be completed by 2028 and will offer maximum flexibility in producing both renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
The new biorefinery in Sannazzaro de’ Burgondi will not affect the plant’s existing traditional fuels production capacity.
Instead, it will introduce additional biofuel production from renewable raw materials, further diversifying the range of products available to the market.
The project involves the conversion of the hydrocracker unit using Ecofining™ technology as well as the construction of a pretreatment unit for waste and residues, which are the main feedstocks used by Enilive to produce hydrotreated biofuels.
The hydrogen required will be supplied by existing plants.
Supporting infrastructure, including logistics and connections to airports in Lombardy, will be adapted for the new production setup.
The new biorefinery in Sannazzaro de’ Burgondi will have the capacity to process 550,000 metric tons per year of feedstock, with the flexibility to produce renewable diesel and SAF.
The Priolo biorefinery, for which preparatory activities are underway ahead of the award of procurement and construction contracts for the new units, will have a capacity of 500,000 tons per year and will also have extensive operational flexibility for the production of renewable diesel or SAF in line with market dynamics and demands.
The Priolo biorefinery is part of Versalis’ basic chemicals transformation plan and will be built within the existing site, replacing the cracking plant that ceased operations last year and that is currently being dismantled.
Through Enilive, Eni is the second largest producer of hydrotreated biofuels in Europe and plans to increase its biorefining capacity from the current 1.65 million tons per year to over 3 million in 2028 and over 5 million in 2030, with the potential to produce up to 2 million tons of SAF by 2030.
