Biofuel/Biomass

Eni is committed to developing technologies for the production of bio-fuels through the gasification of biomass and the following liquefaction of such syngas via Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, or through the cultivation of microalgae that are able to proliferate on industrial waste water or on saline water, metabolizing the nitrogen and phosphorus compounds of contained in them, and to absorb the CO₂ in the industrial off gas to obtain biomass with high content of removable lipids, convertible into diesel fuel.
Eni is also involved in the use of micro-organisms (yeast) for the conversion of sugar fractions obtained from different types of biomass into oily materials to be used to produce diesel fuel. In particular, the biomass produced by microalgae can be advantageously exploited for energy purposes: once separated from the growth media by gravity separation and filtration, it can be used to extract vegetable oil convertible into fuels.

These technologies have been tried at different levels (laboratory, bench scale or industrial plants). The production of diesel biofuel from microalgae is being tested at the Gela refinery, which seems particularly suitable because of the climate, infrastructures, availability of CO₂ streams and wastewater (urban and industrial). A one-hectare plant was realized and started-up; it is made up of several modules and it is the first demonstration unit built at an oil refinery for the cultivation of microalgae. The module for biomass separation and collection and subsequent extraction of bio-oil, for EcofiningTM proprietary technology, is almost completed.

Another project aims to identify microorganisms that can metabolize organic matter producing lipids, from which produce biodiesel with appropriate treatments. It has been identified a yeast able to grow efficiently on all the sugars present in the lignin-cellulosic biomass and to accumulate lipids up to 75% of its weight, improving the result obtained in 2008 (60%).

Moreover, Eni is participating to the development of analysis models for the production of second generation bio-ethanol, within the NILE European project (New Improved Lignocellulosic Ethanol).

The objective of EcoFining^TM technology for the production of Green Diesel is the production of biofuels through an integrated refinery process, which consists of the hydrotreating of the renewable components (vegetable oil, used oils, animal fats, etc.) to obtain a product with characteristics (calorific value, cetane, etc..) superior to conventional biodiesel (FAME).
The technology also allows the processing of feedstocks of different origins, including oil from algae, into biofuels.
To develop the techniques fixed-bed pilot plant were used, starting in microreactors at pilot scale. Evaluations were made on the quality of the product and its use in blending gasoline and some preliminary assessments of motor performance in the engine room.

To date, the technology can be considered developed: the proposed activity is predominantly process optimization and evaluation of environmental benefits from the use of biodiesel in the formulation of fuels.
The product allows a qualitative advantage compared to conventional biodiesel due to its characteristics and advantages both for logistics and blending properties.

The American Institute of Chemical Eingineers (AICHE), during its Annual Meeting held in Salt Lake City (USA), awarded eni R&M and the American company UOP with the 2010 Sustainable Energy Award for their activities in the process development for the production of Greendiesel by Ecofining process.

Eni is also involved in researching technological solutions for the exploitation of solid waste. Presently it is developing new processes for the enhancement of the organic component of municipal solid waste and sludge produced by wastewater urban treatment plants.
The technology is based on a heat-fermentation integrated process, which provides for an initial thermal treatment of wastes with production of bio-oil that can be treated by existing refinery processes and converted into biofuels for transportation. The process is integrated with a fermentation stage for the recovery of the by-products present in the aqueous effluent of the thermal treatment.