Eni Refinery, Venice
This is the first time that a conventional oil refinery has ever been converted
into a biorefinery. During a difficult period for the European refining
industry, Eni has found a way to repurpose the catalytic
hydrodesulphurisation section of its Venice refinery. The reconfiguration
makes use of Eni’s proprietary EcofiningTM technology, developed by the
firm in its San Donato Milanese laboratories in collaboration with Honeywell
UOP.
Since May 2014 the biorefinery has been producing extremely highquality
biofuels – predominantly green diesel, but also green naphtha, LPG and
potentially even jet fuel – from biological feedstock. It is thus helping to
meet the requirements of the EU directive on renewable energy and ensure
that its conventional fuels have at least a 10 per cent component derived
from renewable sources by 2020.
Eni’s Venice refinery processes approximately 360,000 tonnes of vegetable
oil a year, a figure that will rise to around 600,000 tonnes once construction
work on the conversion project is complete. Currently European-certified
palm oil is used due to its wide availability compared to supplies of second
and third- generation feedstock. However, these alternative fuels are already
being tested and preparations are being made to process them in the future.
Repeated industrial testing has confirmed that raw materials that do not
compete with the food supply chain, such as used vegetable oils from across
the country and animal fats, are suitable for processing. With this in mind,
partnerships are under discussion with public waste authorities to increase
the collection of used oils from homes for use in the biorefinery. In addition,
possible additions to oily biomass refinery plants are being considered, so
that the waste products from this process – ‘advanced’ fuels such as distilled
fatty acids and glycerine – can be reused. Testing on oils derived from algae
is also currently being carried out in Gela.
The issue
The European Union’s Renewable Energy Directive1 (also known as
RED 20-20-20) set challenging targets for European countries to achieve by
the end of 2020:
• A 20 per cent reduction in emissions of greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4,
N2O etc.) compared to 1990 levels;
• A 20 per cent reduction in energy consumption compared to the
projections made for 2020;
• 20 per cent of energy production from renewable sources, with 10 per
cent (calculated on an energy basis) of fuels used for transportation
made from renewable and sustainable biofuels.
Although adding bioethanol and biodiesel to traditional fuels is the quickest
and simplest way to comply with the regulations, the quality of such
products is poor compared to conventional fuels, making their use
problematic. Biodiesel in particular has disadvantages related to its poor
chemical stability, poor performance at cold temperatures, fouling and its
low energy content per unit of volume, and many car manufacturers now
advise against using biodiesel in their engines. The maximum proportion of
biodiesel that can be added to conventional fuels without causing severe
engine problems currently stands at around 7 per cent.
Furthermore, current regulations (the Fuel Quality Directive, or FQD) require
a minimum 6 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from fossil
fuels – an impossible target using biodiesel alone. New biocomponents for
fuels that could, at least in part, replace biodiesel and improve engine
efficiency while reducing emissions, must therefore be developed. The
solution proposed by Eni is green diesel, 2 produced using the firm’s
proprietary Ecofining technology. This fuel meets all of the above
requirements.
Strategy
The biorefinery project involved reimagining the Venice and Gela
refineries, identifying innovative solutions to convert the previously
installed operating capacity, based on traditional production cycles, into
‘green’ processes, which are both environmentally and financially
sustainable. A business model was developed that, by enhancing existing
plants and making use of proprietary Eni technologies, allows the
conversion of low-cost, non-conventional biological feedstock (such
as vegetable oil and biomass) into high-value products (green diesel,
green LPG, green naphtha etc.). This model is of particular interest given
that biofuel demand in Italy is forecast to rise.
The process is based on innovative Ecofining technology, developed by Eni
and tested in its laboratories. It produces very high-grade, sustainable
biofuels without any of the disadvantages which affect other fuels currently
on the market (fatty acid methyl esters or FAMEs). Consequently, it offers
reduced particulate emissions and improved engine efficiency in line with
current legislation and EU directives.
The raw materials of biological origin used in the process can be divided into
first generation feedstock (vegetable oils in competition with the food supply
chain), second generation feedstock (animal fats, used cooking oils and
agricultural waste) and third generation feedstock (oils from algae or waste).
Ecofining can also be applied to second and third-generation feedstock, so
anticipating any future changes in the regulations.
Technology
To convert a conventional refinery into a biorefinery that complies with all
regulations while also producing biocomponents for high-grade fuels, Eni
chose to use its proprietary Ecofining technology. This process was
developed by Eni and Honeywell UOP and produces green diesel.
Ecofining is essentially a two-stage process:
• During the first stage, the hydrodeoxygenation of vegetable oil, the
biological feedstock is transformed into a mixture of linear C16-C18
paraffins; 3
• During isomerisation, the second stage, paraffin isomers are
transformed to give the product the cold properties it needs and meet
the specifications of diesel fuel.
Stage 1 Stage 2
Hydrodeoxygenation Isomerisation
Reactions Reactions
• Cracking of the triglyceride • Cracking of the paraffin
structure • Isomerisation of the paraffin
• Deoxygenation of the oil
• Saturation of double bonds
Product Main Product
Fully deoxygenated paraffin Green Diesel, a paraffin-based
hydrocarbon with a high cetane component with an isomerisation
number and poor cold properties level that meets cold property
(CP>20°C) requirements
By-product: propane By-products: biogasoline and
bioLPG
The end product, known as hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) or green
diesel, is a very high-quality diesel with excellent cetane levels (cetane
number5 >70, similar to top quality diesel obtained from gasto-liquids
processes). It has a high calorific value and is free from aromatic compounds
and heteroatoms (sulphur, nitrogen or oxygen).
The product is also immiscible with water and entirely compatible with diesel
produced from petroleum (to which it can be added in a proportion of up to
30 per cent without any issues). Thus the fuel obtained respects the strictest
regulations and offers the best performance for both engines and the
environment.
The high calorific value of green diesel allows reduced consumption of plant
feedstock (initially palm oil, certified to European standards) compared with
traditional processes. In addition, in the near future, second and third-
generation feedstock will also be able to be used, such as animal fats,
used cooking oil, agricultural waste, oil from algae and other waste.
Advantages
Eni’s proprietary Ecofining technology has allowed it to convert its
conventional refineries in Venice and Gela into innovative biorefineries for
the production of high-grade fuel that complies with current legislation and
EU directives.
In the current climate of European refining, in which dozens of refineries
have closed in recent years, the Venice plant, which would otherwise have
been shut down, has been kept in operation. The conversion project has
given the plant a new lease of life through an innovative hi-tech processing
cycle. Eni’s decision to convert existing plants has the additional benefit of
lower investment costs compared to building a new unit. Integrating the
technology into existing facilities significantly reduced the project’s
investments costs.
Another advantage is the significant reduction in emissions from the Venice
operation, which benefits the environment.
