Private sector partnerships

The partnership agreement between Eni and IRENA builds upon the commitment of both organizations to accelerate the energy transition. It aims to accelerate the development of renewable energy in those contexts where the decarbonisation objectives are closely linked to those of access to energy, especially in Africa. In the last two decades, the region attracted only 2% of global renewable energy investments but the opportunities offered by renewables are immense. For instance, biofuels in Africa have a huge untapped potential. As shown in the latest IRENA World Energy Transitions Outlook, in the road transport sector and in shipping and aviation sectors biofuels are a fundamental component of decarbonization. For this reason, Eni and IRENA have jointly developed a capacity building initiative with the goal of strengthening the competences and skills of national institutions involved in the value chain of biofuels in Africa. It is a wide and intensive program that will involve different African countries between 2022 and 2024.

The first edition took place in September 2022, when a delegation of 18 public officials from key ministries in Kenya and Rwanda was hosted in Italy for 10 days. The program started in Castel Gandolfo at Eni Corporate University premises, where Eni has its archive and training centre. In this beautiful lake town near Rome, for five days lecturers from Eni and IRENA provided an overview of the entire biofuels value chain and role in the energy transition as means to achieve the sustainable development goals. The opening ceremony was attended by Eni top management representatives and Nicola Bazzani from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy, who showed enthusiasm for the initiative and for the Eni-IRENA partnership. Complementing theory with practice, the program continued with a site visit to Eni biorefinery in Venice. Visiting the world’s first biorefinery ever converted from a traditional oil refinery, the participants could see with their own eyes how the energy transformation can be an opportunity for economic development. The program ended in the open-air laboratory of Oristano, in Sardinia. Here the most suitable plants for growing in marginal and arid soils are studied with the goal to develop feedstocks that can ensure the sustainability of the value chain, avoiding competition with the food chain.

The climate challenge is an issue that affects everyone – governments, institutions, international agencies, the private sector, citizens – and should be faced with a collective effort. That is why Eni and IRENA believe in their partnership and aim to continue working together, pooling resources and leverage respective strengths towards the common goal of a sustainable future.