EIB lends €500m to Eni for Sannazzaro biorefinery conversion
- €500 million 15-year loan to convert units at Sannazzaro de Burgondi into a biorefinery using Ecofining technology
- From 2028 the plant will produce HVO diesel and SAF (biojet) from used cooking oil, animal fats and agri-food waste, ~550,000 t/yr capacity
- Builds on a separate €500 million loan for Livorno (July 2025) and supports Enilive's target of 5 million tonnes biofuel capacity by 2030, including over 2 million tonnes of SAF
Project and financing
The European Investment Bank provided a 15-year €500 million loan to convert selected units at Eni’s Sannazzaro de’ Burgondi refinery into a biorefinery, including repurposing the HDC2 hydrocracker and adding a pre-treatment plant for waste feedstocks.
Technology and feedstocks
The conversion will use Ecofining™ technology to produce hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from used cooking oil, animal fats and agri-food industry waste.
Capacity and schedule
Operations are scheduled to start in 2028, with expected combined HVO diesel and biojet output of about 550,000 tonnes per year.
Strategic context
The Sannazzaro conversion follows a separate €500 million EIB loan for the Livorno conversion (July 2025) and supports Enilive’s plan to reach 5 million tonnes of biofuel capacity by 2030, including over 2 million tonnes of SAF; existing Enilive biorefineries operate in Venice, Gela and a US joint venture, with additional projects planned in Livorno, Malaysia, South Korea and Priolo (Sicily).
Source: Eni