Enilive begins SAF production at its plant in Gela (Sicily), capable of meeting one third of Europe’s demand

Enilive has officially launched its first Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production facility at the Gela biorefinery in Sicily.

The plant, now operational, has an annual production capacity of 400,000 tonnes, accounting for nearly one-third of the projected European SAF demand in 2025. This aligns with the ReFuelEU Aviation regulation, which mandates that aviation fuel providers include SAF in the jet fuel supplied to aircraft operators at EU airports. Under Regulation (EU) 2023/2405, the required SAF content will progressively increase every five years, starting at a minimum of 2% from January 1, 2025, reaching 6% by 2030, 20% by 2035, 34% by 2040, 42% by 2045, and ultimately 70% by 2050.

Since September 2022, Enilive has secured agreements with multiple airlines for SAF supply, leveraging early production from synergies between the Gela biorefinery and other Eni facilities utilizing waste-based feedstocks. The company aims to expand its biorefining capacity beyond 5 million tonnes annually by 2030, with a specific target of reaching 1 million tonnes of SAF per year by 2026 and potentially doubling that figure by 2030. These ambitions will be supported by ongoing developments at the Venice biorefinery and the establishment of new biorefineries in Malaysia and South Korea.

The Gela biorefinery is capable of processing 736,000 tonnes of biomass annually, primarily sourced from waste and residual materials such as used cooking oil, animal fats, and by-products from vegetable oil refining. SAF production at the facility has been enabled through plant upgrades, including modifications to the isomerisation unit with the addition of a reactor and a product separation system, as well as enhancements to the tank farm and logistics infrastructure. Additionally, improvements to the feedstock pretreatment section—such as the construction of a third degumming line—are nearing completion, further increasing the facility’s capacity to process a wider range of waste and residue-based feedstocks for HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) biofuels.

"Our plants and technologies position Enilive as a leader in HVO biofuel production, reinforcing our strategy to offer increasingly sustainable products," said Stefano Ballista, CEO of Enilive. "Eni has been investing in this sector for over a decade, and Enilive will be among the first companies worldwide to produce substantial quantities of SAF. By 2026, the SAF facility at the Venice biorefinery in Porto Marghera will become operational, and by 2030, additional plants will be commissioned in Italy and internationally."