Eni and Snam have started carbon dioxide (CO2) injection activities in the reservoir for Phase 1 of the Ravenna CCS project.
Designed to support industrial decarbonisation, Ravenna CCS is the first project for the capture, transport and permanent storage of CO₂ in Italy.
Under the joint venture, phase 1 will capture, transport and store CO₂ emissions from Eni’s natural gas treatment plant in Casalborsetti, in the municipality of Ravenna, estimated at approximately 25,000 tonnes of per year.
Once captured, the CO2 is transported to the offshore Porto Corsini Mare Ovest platform through reconverted gas pipelines, where it will then be injected and stored at a depth of 3,000m in the depleted Porto Corsini Mare Ovest gas field.
The project, fully powered by electricity from renewables, is already delivering a reduction of over 90% in CO₂ emissions from the Casalborsetti plant’s chimney.
Claudio Descalzi, CEO of Eni, said a project of ‘great significance for decarbonisation’ has now become an industrial reality.
He said, “The capture and storage of CO2 is an effective, safe – and now available – means to reduce emissions from energy-intensive industries whose activities cannot be electrified.”
“We are using our depleted fields, existing infrastructure, and technical expertise in reinjection techniques to offer a very competitive service, which is receiving tremendous interest.”
“From renewables to biofuels, from CCS to sustainable chemistry, we are engaged in providing our clients with a variety of solutions, with a constant focus on economic competitiveness and the level of real demand from companies who require energy to function.”
Snam CEO, Stefano Venier, said the Ravenna CCS project aligns with its intention to position itself as a multi-molecule operator in order to enable a fair and balanced energy transition, offering even the most energy-intensive players the opportunity to undertake decarbonisation paths that preserve their competitiveness.
He said, “To do so, we leverage our long-standing expertise in the transport and storage of molecules, with a specific focus on the Po Valley region, where we already have deep roots thanks to strategic assets that have supported the country’s economic and social development for decades.”
“Moreover, this joint venture with Eni follows the same trajectory as similar projects of European interest in which we participate through our associates in France, Greece and the United Kingdom, and from which we expect to be able to draw synergies that will promote the success of Ravenna CCS”.
Phase 2 will store up to 4 million tonnes of CO2 per year by 2030, in line with the goals defined by Italy’s Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC).
The joint venture will initiate all necessary procedures to obtain permits in accordance with the regulatory framework.
With the total storage capacity of the depleted gas fields of the Adriatic Sea, and based on market demand, the volumes of CO2 captured and stored underground could reach 16 million tonnes per year.
