Green Transformation Approved: Eni Secures Clearance for Major Sicilian Biorefinery and Recycling Hub

Eni S.p.A. has formally launched the Environmental Impact Assessment (VIA) for a large-scale redevelopment of its industrial complex in Priolo, Sicily, which is set to become one of the company’s leading low-carbon hubs. The initiative was made possible following recent approval from Italy’s Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security, granting Eni permission to begin work on both a biorefinery and a chemical recycling plant.

The plan involves repurposing the section of the site currently occupied by the Versalis ethylene production unit, which is scheduled for a gradual shutdown. Originally proposed in late 2024 and officially confirmed through an agreement with the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (MIMIT) in March 2025, the conversion marks a significant step in Eni’s strategy to advance decarbonization and promote circular-economy practices across its operations.

Once complete, the new biorefinery will be capable of producing about 500,000 tonnes of renewable fuels each year. It will primarily rely on waste-based feedstocks such as used cooking oil, vegetable residues, and animal fats. The facility’s core technology will include an Ecofining™ processing unit, a feedstock pre-treatment area, and an integrated hydrogen production system.

The plant is expected to supply high-quality biofuels including hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) for road, rail, and maritime transport, along with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for the airline sector. Completion is anticipated by the end of 2028. The Priolo site will become Eni’s second biorefinery in Sicily, following the Gela facility that began operations in 2019, reinforcing the company’s leadership role in renewable fuel development and its long-term goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

Alongside the biorefinery, Eni’s chemicals division, Versalis, plans to build Italy’s first full-scale chemical recycling plant using its proprietary Hoop® process. The new unit will be capable of treating roughly 40,000 tonnes of mixed plastic waste annually and is expected to yield around 32,000 tonnes of high-grade pyrolysis oil suitable for producing new plastics, including materials approved for sensitive applications such as food and pharmaceutical packaging.

Developed in collaboration with the Italian engineering firm S.R.S. (Servizi di Ricerche e Sviluppo), the Hoop® process represents a major advance in circular materials management. It combines a high-efficiency pyrolysis reactor with artificial intelligence tools that analyze polymer characteristics in real time to optimize efficiency. This approach complements mechanical recycling by capturing and reusing complex plastic waste streams that are typically landfilled, supporting Italy’s broader sustainability objectives and the EU’s circular-economy agenda.