Eni to convert Venice refinery into bio-refinery

Venice, Italy – Eni is investing Euro100 million to convert its Venice refinery to produce only biofuels. The project, it said, is the first in the world to convert a conventional refinery into bio-refinery and is based on the group’s own-developed Ecofining technology.

The ‘Green Refinery’ process will start with an initial conversion of existing facilities which will be launched in the second quarter of 2013 and completed by the end of that year. Until the start of the changeover, the refinery will continue to produce conventionally.

Biofuel production will start from January 1 2014 and will grow progressively as the new facilities enter into operation. The new facilities to be built under the project will be completed in the first half of 2015. said Eni.

The new ‘green’ plant will maintain the Venice site in an economically sustainable industrial operation over the long term, with low environmental impact. the group added.

The project. said Eni, will allow for the use of a “reasonable proportion” of staff employed in the existing refinery. The staff will be managed with methods and tools that will be shared with the trade unions.

The investment programme and the activities on the industrial production site will also allow Eni to maintain significant use of all the individual business activities related to the refinery, said an Eni press statement.