The Italian multinational oil and gas company Eni has its sights firmly set on Kenya for sustainable bio-refining projects.

In fact, Eni has started production of Kenya's first vegetable oil for bio-refineries at its oilseed harvesting and pressing plant in Makueni, in the agri-hub that by 2022 will be able to produce 2,500 tonnes of oil, compared to a starting capacity of 15,000 tonnes of oil extracted from castor, croton and cotton seeds. The start-up of production in Kenya represents the first integrated project in the world to include Africa in the vertical bio-refining supply chain.

'This project embodies all the pillars of Eni's approach to sustainability,' said Eni's CEO Claudio Descalzi, 'first of all carbon neutrality, as bio-refining is an important element in our path towards zero emissions by 2050. We completed the work on schedule, one year after the agreement with the Kenyan government and six months after the start-up of the construction site, in total safety with more than 200,000 hours worked without any accidents'.
Descalzi confirmed that the social development, with benefits in terms of employment, has involved 25 thousand local farmers and employed up to 200 people a day in the construction of the centre. "The cultivation of the seeds is delegated to local farmers so as to promote market access by ensuring access to land." ENI's CEO said.
The plant will also produce feed and biofertilisers derived from the protein component of the seeds for the benefit of livestock and food production, contributing to food security. The centre will also function as a training and technical support centre for farmers.

Notably, Eni is the first company in the world to certify castor and croton for use as a second biofuel and has also enabled an African cotton mill to achieve this certification standard for the first time, offering new market opportunities to local farmers for the fibre.