Producing biofuels by exploiting the important potential of vegetable oils obtained by squeezing the castor, cotton, croton, brassica and camelina seeds. It also passes from here Eni’s strategyintegrated into its business model, to accelerate the transport decarbonisation. Strategy that already today sees the use of ‘waste & residue’ raw materials, waste and processing residuessuch as used cooking oils and animal fats, for over 85% as feedstock of their biorefineries in Venice and Gela, and which plans to increase overall production capacity of biorefineries of the six-legged dog to 2 million by 2025 and to 6 million in the next decade. Since October 2022, in advance of the target set by the company for 2023 and the EU directive, it has been iPalm oil supply is interrupted.
To do this and find sustainable alternative supplies, Eni has signed agreements in 7 countries – Kenya, Congo, Angola, Benin, Ivory Coast, Mozambique and Rwanda – and has launched experiments and feasibility studies in other countries, including Italy and Kazakhstan – with the aim of develop agri-feedstock supply chainsraw material necessary for the production of biofuels with which to feed the biorefining system of the Eni plants in Venice and Gela.
The company’s business model consists of two parts: in the first, stipulation agreements with farmers that produce on their land the crops that are used to produce biofuels, which grow quickly on degraded land, not in competition with food production. In addition, Eni provides suitable seeds, modern means, training courses and technical support to do it in the best possible way. The second part, on the other hand, consists in the industrialization of the process, a phase in which Eni comes into play directly with the construction of large agri-hubs through which the company will be able to produce vegetable oils to feed its biorefineries, feed and bio-fertilizers, contributing to promote food security.
The agri-feedstock projects, developed by the company, are in line with the highest European and international certification standards e they do not affect existing food crops eithersuch as grains or sugar cane, nor on forest resources. Not surprisingly, all Eni projects have low-Iluc certification which guarantees that its agricultural productions are at low risk of direct and indirect change in the intended use of the land.
The lands identified for cultivation in Africa are mostly abandoned or degraded areas, due to phenomena such as desertification, erosion, drought and pollution. The business model of the projects is virtuous because it will make it possible to enhance these areas, generating important repercussions on farmers both from a production and employment point of view. By 2030, the goal is to produce more than 800,000 tons of vegetable oil per year and guarantee jobs for up to one million families.
At the moment, the most advanced projects on the African continent are in Kenya is in Congo where i agri-feedstock projects focus on castor. The search for new opportunities and studies in the agro-industrial chain was also started in Angola, Mozambique, Benin, Rwanda, Ivory Coast, Algeria, Kazakhstan and Italy with the aim of covering 35% of the total supply of Eni’s biorefineries by 2025, also thanks to the vertical integration of the agri-feedstock supply chain.
The three-year agreement signed by Eni with theInternational Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) to accelerate the energy transition in fossil fuel exporting countries, promoting the integration of the African continent into the biofuel value chain.