LG Chem and Enilive Break Ground on South Korea’s First HVO and SAF Production Facility

LG Chem and Enilive have officially commenced construction of South Korea’s first facility dedicated to the production of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) and Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Located in the Daesan industrial complex in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, the plant is being developed by LG-Eni BioRefining, a joint venture between the two companies, and is scheduled for completion in 2027.

Once operational, the facility will process approximately 400,000 tons of renewable biological feedstocks annually to produce low-carbon fuels such as HVO and SAF. The project represents a critical step in LG Chem’s strategy to transition its business portfolio towards sustainable and long-term growth. LG Chem CEO Shin Hak-cheol emphasized the company's commitment to reshaping its product mix, noting that innovation in bio-based feedstocks like renewable fuels and HVO is essential to boosting global competitiveness and responding effectively to evolving customer demands for sustainability.

Enilive CEO Stefano Ballista highlighted that the groundbreaking of the Seosan biorefinery reinforces Enilive’s strategic direction toward increasingly sustainable products. The Daesan plant will complement Enilive’s existing operations in Italy and the United States, along with ongoing projects in Italy and Malaysia. Collectively, these facilities are expected to help Enilive reach its target of expanding biorefining capacity to over 5 million tons per year by 2030, including more than 2 million tons of SAF.

This joint initiative is seen as a model of industrial cooperation between South Korea and Italy in the fields of energy and chemicals and marks a significant advancement in the regional and global development of renewable fuel supply chains.