Italy's Lombardy Region and Italian energy company Eni signed a Memorandum of Understanding for long-term sustainable growth at Eni’s refinery in Sannazzaro de' Burgondi on Monday.
The agreement will see the implementation of a joint, circular development process, leading to the study and new industrial models for sustainable growth.
The agreement aims to safeguard natural resources by using them efficiently and sustainably; to promote the recovery, reuse, and extension of products’ useful life; to produce sustainable energy products, such as biofuels and bio-chemicals, and to promote biomass or waste products.
'The initiatives will include studies to enhance and optimize urban waste management through digital mapping and traceability systems. These efforts will focus largely on organic waste, with Eni currently working on a pilot plant for bio-oil production in Gela using its Waste to Fuel technology,' the company said.
Other initiatives include recovering biological mud and plastic waste through recycling technologies or conversion in chemical and/or energy intermediates, and leveraging waste biomass from production chains in Lombardy, particularly from rice, dairy, and meat industries, to collect animal fats, it added.
The Italian company previously initiated a path towards decarbonization, and this year, has set a more challenging goal in reaching zero net upstream emissions by 2030.
Eni is also committing to reduce the emissions intensity of upstream activities by about 45%, eliminate flaring processes, and reduce methane emissions by 80% by 2025, the company said.
Over the next four years, the company plans to invest over €950 million, plus another €220 million in research and development, to develop circular industrial solutions.
€1 equals 6.42 Turkish liras
By Gulsen Cagatay
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr