Eni starts production of renewable fuels at Italian refinery

According to news on April 28, Honeywell announced that Italy’s largest energy company Eni Group is producing renewable fuels at its refinery in Gera, Italy, using Ecofining technology jointly developed by Eni Group and UOP.

The production of biofuels at the refineries in Gera and Venice will help the Eni Group meet the growing demand for alternative fuels in Europe. UOP provided technology licensing, basic engineering, special equipment, catalysts and training for the Gera project. The Gera project produces 750,000 tons of HVO (hydrogenated vegetable oil) biofuels per year.

In 2014, Eni Group also converted its oil refinery in Venice into biofuels, producing up to 360,000 tons of biofuels from used vegetable oil, used edible oil and animal fat each year. In general, Eni Group currently converts 25% of Italy's recycled waste edible oil into biofuels, supports European emission regulations, and at the same time increases the utilization rate of existing refining assets. Venice is the world's first example of converting a traditional refinery into a biorefinery.

Ben Owens, Vice President and General Manager of Honeywell Sustainable Technology Solutions, said: "In order to meet the growing demand for biofuels in Europe, Eni converted its existing Gera facility to use Ecofining technology jointly developed by Eni and UOP. The company’s biorefineries. The company believes this is an effective way to further support the growth of biofuels and the EU’s renewable energy policy."

Ecofining process converts non-edible natural oil, animal fat and other waste raw materials into renewable diesel, which has the same chemical properties as petroleum diesel and can be used as a substitute for automobiles without modification.