### Eni’s Awaited Livorno Biorefinery: A Crucial Step Towards Sustainable Energy
Eni, a Italy-based multinational energy company, is poised to transform its abandoned 84,000-barrels-per-day conventional crude oil refinery in Livorno, Tuscany, into Italy’s third biorefinery. This strategic move aligns with Eni’s broader decarbonization strategy aimed at achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. The impending biorefinery is a significant milestone, not just for Eni, but for the entire energy sector in Europe, as it marks a substantial shift towards sustainable energy solutions.
#### Background and Regulatory Journey
The transformation project began taking shape in October 2022 when Eni announced its intentions to convert the idle refinery. Following this, the company submitted an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in November 2022. Subsequently, Eni has received approvals from various regulatory bodies, including the Italian Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security (MOEES), Italy’s Ministry of Culture, the Italian National Institute of Health, and Tuscany’s regional government.
#### Project Components
The proposed biorefinery will consist of three primary facilities:
1. **Biogenic Feedstock Pretreatment Unit**:
– This unit will handle the processing of waste raw materials, residues, and waste resulting from the processing of vegetable products and oils from crops that do not compete with the food chain into renewable feedstock.
2. **500,000 Tons Per Year Ecofining Plant**:
– Utilizing the proprietary Ecofining technology developed by Eni and Honeywell UOP, this plant will convert biogenic feedstocks into hydrogenated biofuels, including hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) diesel, HVO naphtha, and bio-LPG.
3. **Hydrogen Production Facility**:
– This facility will produce hydrogen from methane gas, further enhancing the overall sustainability