Earthing Pits

The Eni refinery in Livorno, located in Tuscany, is a historic industrial site founded in 1939. Originally established as a traditional oil refinery for processing crude oil, the infrastructure is now at the center of one of the most important Italian energy transition projects, aimed at its complete conversion into a latest-generation biorefinery. Once the transformation is complete, the facility will no longer process fossil fuels, but will exclusively treat biogenic feedstocks, such as used cooking oils, waste animal fats, and agri-food industry residues, to transform them into hydrogenated biofuels. With this new industrial asset, the project pursues a twofold objective. On one hand, it aims to produce clean fuels by replacing oil with biological waste and used cooking oils; this reduces CO₂ emissions in transport and helps Eni reach the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. On the other hand, the conversion serves to save the factory and jobs, transforming an old plant that was at risk of closure into a modern site, thereby guaranteeing employment for all workers in the Livorno area.

ENAP, Chile’s state-owned integrated oil and gas company, has implemented Wet Gas Sulfuric Acid (WSA) and Sour Water Stripping (SWS) units at its Bío Bío Refinery in Hualpén as part of its environmental upgrade program. These facilities are designed to reduce sulfur emissions, treat sour process water, and support compliance with Chile’s stringent environmental regulations while improving the refinery’s overall environmental performance.