Eni announces that it has received approval from the Italian Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security to convert selected units at the Sannazzaro de’ Burgondi (Pavia) refinery into a biorefinery. Eni has now started the authorization process and has filed an application for Environmental Impact Assessment (VIA).

The project involves converting the existing Hydrocracker (HDC2) unit using Ecofining™ technology and constructing a pre-treatment unit for waste and residues, which are the main biogenic feedstocks Enilive uses to produce HVO biofuels.

Hydrogen will be sourced from existing plants, while supporting infrastructure, including logistics, will be adapted for the new operations. Traditional fuel production will continue alongside the new production of HVO diesel and SAF-biojet for aviation, expected to begin in 2028.

The new biorefinery will not impact the capacity of the existing refinery; instead, it will operate alongside the existing facilities, enhancing the diversification of products.

Once operational, the biorefinery will have a processing capacity of 550,000 tonnes/year of feedstock, with flexibility to produce SAF-biojet and HVO diesel. The plants will process various biogenic feedstocks, mainly waste and residues. Through Enilive, Eni is already the second-largest producer of HVO (Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil) biofuels in Europe, including both diesel and biojet (SAF – Sustainable Aviation Fuel).

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