Eni: Biomass Treatment Plant Launches in Gela

(ENI) 18 months after the bio-refinery was opened, the new BTU plant begins production, allowing up to 100% of raw material waste to be used for biofuel production -- Eni’s new BTU (Biomass Treatment Unit) plant has begun production and was tested a few days ago. It will enable the Eni biorefinery in Gela to use up to 100% of the biomass from used cooking oil and fats from fish and meat processing produced in Sicily (therefore not in competition with the food chain) to create a zero-kilometre circular economy model for the production of biodiesel, bio-naphtha, bioLPG and bio-jet. Castor oil will also be used to feed the Gela biorefinery, thanks to an experimental project to grow castor plants on semi-desert land in Tunisia, thereby completely replacing palm oil, which will no longer be used in Eni's production processes from 2023.

The plant’s construction began in early 2020 and despite slowdowns caused by the management of activities during the pandemic, the vast majority of the project was completed on schedule. 1.3 million hours were worked, with zero accidents for both Eni people and contract workers.

The launch of the BTU completes the second phase of the transformation of the industrial site, which is solely dedicated to sustainable production processes and is a solid step forwards in the decarbonization and energy transition process that underlies Eni's strategy, which is committed to achieving the total decarbonization of its products and processes by 2050. Indeed, the 2021-2024 plan provides for the doubling of the production capacity of Eni's biorefineries to around 2 million tonnes by 2024, and increasing it to 5/6 million tonnes by 2050.

The BTU adds to the technology already in use, which includes Ecofining™, Eni-UOP technology to produce biofuels from biological origin raw materials, Steam Reforming to produce hydrogen and the Waste to Fuel pilot plant, built by Eni Rewind, which transforms the organic fraction of municipal solid waste into bio-oil and bio-methane.

The transformation of the former petrochemical plant in Gela is an example of a regenerative circular economy, which has allowed production cycles based on fossil sources to be converted and is linked with the plan to demolish the plants no longer in use with a view to the production of biofuels and environmental remediation. READ MORE

Excerpt from Biofuels International: Venice was the first example in the world of conversion of a conventional refinery into a biorefinery.

“To meet increasing demand for biofuels in Europe, Eni converted its existing Gela facility to a biorefinery using the Ecofining technology jointly developed by Eni and UOP,” said Ben Owens, vice president and general manager, Honeywell Sustainable Technology Solutions. “The company saw this as an effective way to further support the growth of biofuels and the European Union’s policies for renewable energy.”

The Ecofining process converts non-edible natural oils, animal fats and other waste feedstocks to renewable diesel, chemically identical to petroleum-based diesel, which can be used as a drop-in replacement in vehicles with no modifications.

Ecofining technology also can be used to produce jet fuel. Honeywell Green Jet Fuel produced by this process can be blended seamlessly with petroleum-based fuel. When used in up to a 50% blend with petroleum-based jet fuel, Honeywell Green Jet Fuel requires no changes to aircraft technology and meets all critical specifications for flight. READ MORE