Eni to pursue biofuels in MoU with Kenya

Italian energy company Eni said July 21 that it reached a preliminary agreement with the Kenyan government to develop biofuels from waste.

Eni signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Kenyan petroleum ministry to work toward decarbonising the Kenyan economy.

Both sides agreed to conduct feasibility studies on developing waste and possibly agricultural products that are not in the food chain as a feedstock for bio-fuels that could be processed by Eni’s refineries in Italy. They will also look at the potential for converting a refinery in Kenya to process bio-fuels.

“This initiative will contribute to diversifying Kenya’s energy mix and supporting the overall decarbonisation process, while also decreasing the country’s dependence from imports of petroleum products,” Eni explained. “Other expected benefits include developing sustainable agricultural activities and circular economy, producing power from renewable sources, fostering the economic competitiveness of the local industry and creating new jobs.”

Eni in May published sustainable finance goals that target carbon neutrality by 2050. Explaining its rationale, the company said it was incumbent on those in the energy sector to take meaningful and challenging steps to address the factors behind global climate change.

For production, the company said it expects to favour natural gas in the coming years. And at home, Eni said it would work to transition Italian refining sites into those that produce hydrogen and general biofuels through the recycling of waste materials. It is developing a 3.4mn metric ton/yr LNG terminal further south along the east African coast in Mozambique.