EIB, ENI agree on 500 million euro financing for biofuel production in Italy

Brussels – The European Investment Bank (EIB) and ENI have signed a 500 million euro agreement to promote clean mobility in Italy. The 15-year loan agreement will contribute to the conversion of part of ENI’s Sannazzaro de’ Burgondi (Pavia) refinery into a biofuel production plant, supporting the decarbonisation of the transport sector. The project involves converting the refinery’s Hydrocracker (HDC2) unit using Ecofining technology and building a pre-treatment plant for waste materials such as used cooking oils and animal fats, as well as waste from the agri-food industry, which comprises the main feedstock used by Enilive to produce HVO biofuels.

Building on existing utilities and infrastructure, the project will complement conventional fuel production with HVO diesel biofuels and SAF, helping reduce the carbon footprint of transport and decarbonise the aviation sector, for which SAF is currently the only available solution. From 2028, the Sannazzaro plant will start producing HVO diesel biofuels and SAF biojet, with a production capacity of around 550,000 tonnes per year.

“This financing represents strategic support for a project with high environmental and industrial value, contributing to the decarbonisation of the transport sector, particularly aviation,” said EIB Vice-President Gelsomina Vigliotti. “This new agreement with the EIB demonstrates the effectiveness and robustness of the strategy we pursue through our businesses related to the energy transition,” ENI’s CEO, Claudio Descalzi, added.