Eni has launched the authorisation process for the Environmental Impact Assessment (VIA) to transform its industrial site in Priolo, Sicily. In recent days, the Italian Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security approved the application to proceed with the construction of a biorefinery and a chemical recycling plant based on Versalis’ proprietary Hoop® technology.

The project will use of the area currently occupied by Versalis’ ethylene plant, which will be gradually decommissioned, along with an adjacent area used for site services. The new biorefinery will have a production capacity of 500,000 tonnes per year, fed mainly by residues and waste of vegetable origin, animal fats and vegetable oils. In addition to the Ecofining™ plant, the project includes a biogenic feedstock pre-treatment unit and a plant for the production of hydrogen.

The Priolo biorefinery will be the second in Sicily, after the Gela plant, in operation since 2019, and will produce HVO diesel for road, marine and rail transport, as well as SAF-biojet for the aviation sector, with maximum flexibility. Completion is scheduled by the end of 2028.

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