Biofuels, alliance between Eni and Bonifiche ferraresi- Corriere.it

Agri Energy, the new investee company, was born fifty fifty by Bonifiche Ferraresi and Eni. The managing director is Luigi Scordamaglia (formerly managing director of Filiera Italia and director of Inalca). Agri Energy’s mission is twofold. On the one hand, doing research to identify the most suitable crops to produce biofuels, on the other hand taking action with experimentation in Sardinia and then providing goods and services to support Eni in the development and production of vegetable oils, especially in Africa and Asia. Projects have been launched in this direction in countries such as Angola, Mozambique, Rwanda, Kazakhstan.

Bonifiche Ferraresi has 9,000 hectares of land, it is the largest Italian farm. In Arborea, in the province of Oristano, there is one of its sites. Here we experiment with crops such as castor, brastica and carmelina. Over 30 varieties under the lens, all producing seeds which, once squeezed, give rise to oils that are perfect for producing biofuels. But also to useful by-products to the feed chains for animal husbandry and bio-fertilizers for soil health.

Is there a risk that these productions “rub” land for crops suitable for human nutrition? «The risk does not exist – Scordamaglia cuts short -. It will be degraded or desertified land that could not be used in any other way. We are talking about particularly resistant crops, compatible with arid soils. . In Kenya and Congo the first projects where Eni has signed agreements with local producers to whom we guarantee training in the use of conservation agriculture techniques, with low environmental impact, of which Bonifiche Ferraresi is a reference model at an international level. These are not generic reassurances, the projects of Eni and our joint venture adopt certification with international standards to guarantee the traceability of products and the fact that there are no conflicts with food production intended for humans “.

The center of Arborea, in Sardinia, plays an important role in the whole operation. “It is an open-air laboratory where Bonifiche Ferraresi owns over 1,100 hectares, of which 19 are managed jointly with Eni, together with a large center for shared training activities, which has also opened its doors to delegations coming from countries in pilot camps will be set up. On 28 September, for example, we met here the delegations from Kenya and Rwanda as part of a training course in collaboration with the international agency for renewable energies (Irena) ».

In Africa Eni does not buy land but enters into agreements with local producers. They receive assistance, training and are confident that their crop will be purchased at an agreed price to produce biofuels. But at what stage are we currently in the development of this project? «Eni has already started the first production in Kenya and is starting the field activity in Congo. We are carrying out experimentation and testing activities to select the best varieties in the pilot fields in Sardinia – replies Scordamaglia -. By 2030, Eni aims to produce more than 800,000 tons of sustainable vegetable oil a year and provide jobs for a million families, especially in Africa ».

The demand for biofuels is expected to grow in the coming years to support the decarbonisation process in transport, starting from airplanes and ships. Eni intends to increase the production of its biorefineries (today there are two, located in Gela and Venice) to 2 million tons by 2025 and 6 million in the next decade. Soon the six-legged dog intends to make a third refinery “organic”.