Eni to help Milan-based airport operator SEA achieve net-zero emissions by 2030

Eni and SEA, the Milan Malpensa and Milan Linate airports operator, have signed an agreement to promote decarbonization initiatives in the aviation sector and accelerate the ecological transition of the two airports.

The agreement stems from a collaboration that first began in December with the supply of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for private flights. The collaboration has been extended to commercial flights too, and includes the supply of pure hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), also known as renewable diesel, for ground transportation, as well as a joint development program for smart mobility services. These products and services support the reduction of emissions from airport operations (scope 1 and scope 2) and the decarbonization of airport-related air and ground transport (scope 3).

Eni is the second-largest producer of HVO biofuel in Europe. Its proprietary Ecofining™ technology allows it to produce SAF from waste and plant-based raw materials. Eni’s new “net-zero carbon by 2050” strategy will enable it to provide a range of fully decarbonized products, combining environmental and financial sustainability.

“With this initiative, Eni is building on the potential of sustainable biofuels for aviation, as they currently represent the only immediately available solution to decarbonize the sector,” said Umberto Carrara, Eni’s director of green and traditional refining and markets. “Eni started producing SAF a few months ago with a mix containing [a half-percent] of used cooking oil (UCO), but there are also plans to develop Eni Biojet soon. This will be made exclusively from waste materials such as UCO or animal fats and can be used in a blend with conventional jet fuel of up to 50 percent. The goal is to produce around 200,000 tons per year by 2024 and to double production by 2030.”

Armando Brunini, CEO of SEA, said, “SEA is looking to the future knowing that the recovery of the airport industry is deeply tied to accelerating environmental sustainability. Despite the current crisis, all operators in the sector are investing in technologies and projects that will speed up this transition. I’m convinced that our industry should lead the ecological transition and, in light of concrete and quantifiable results, it deserves a policy framework that supports and incentivizes this shift. SEA is working on several fronts, and the agreement with Eni is particularly effective because it allows to implement projects with a visible positive impact.”

The agreement will help SEA achieve its target of net-zero emissions (scopes 1, 2 and 3) by 2030, 20 years ahead of most comparable international commitments. It will also support the airport operator in developing increasingly sustainable and innovative measures to retain Milan Linate and Milan Malpensa’s "ACA 4+ Transition” status, the highest level of the Airport Carbon Accreditation program run by airport association ACI Europe.