Eni S.p.A. (Rome, Italy) has announced projects to advance renewable fuels and decarbonization efforts in Angola and Republic of Congo.
Eni, ANPG and Sonangol signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the joint development of the agro-biofuel sector in Angola. Under the MoU, Eni, ANPG and Sonangol will develop a de-carbonization path for the Republic of Angola through a circular economy approach, assessing in particular the development of low-ILUC (indirect land‐use change) cultivations such as castor beans on degraded lands and cover crops in rotation with cereals. As part of the MoU, the parties will also evaluate business opportunities in the areas of waste-collection, with the purpose of valorizing the organic fraction, and bio-refining.
At the presence of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Congo Anatole Collinet Makosso and the CEO of Eni Claudio Descalzi, Eni signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Paul Valentin Ngobo, the Minister of Hydrocarbon Bruno Jean Richard Itoua and the Minister of International Cooperation and Promotion of Public Private Partnership Denis Christel Sassou N’Guesso on the joint development of the agro-biofuel sector in the country.
The MoU sets the framework for the industrial scale production of castor oil, to provide feedstock for Eni’s bio-refinery system, while also creating employment opportunities and expanding agricultural activities to marginal and abandoned lands, avoiding impacts on agricultural areas and activities currently destined for food production. The pilot phase is set to begin this month, with castor bean sowing activities on over 200 hectares of land, and up to 1,000 estimated beneficiaries. The industrial development phase is expected to see cultivations on 150,000 hectares with 90,000 estimated beneficiaries by 2030.
This MoU opens a new area of activity for Eni in Congo, in support of the Congolese National Development Plan for Agriculture 2018-2022, and builds upon Eni’s commitment to contribute to the decarbonization of African countries’ energy mix, leveraging the contribution that biofuels can make to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.