Eni and its partner, the Italian gas grid operator Snam, have commissioned the Ravenna carbon capture, transport and storage project in Italy, with the start of CO₂ injection activities.

The initiative is Italy's first carbon capture and storage (CCS) project, aimed at supporting industrial decarbonisation.

Phase one of the Ravenna CCS project will manage CO₂ emissions from Eni's natural gas treatment plant in Casalborsetti, estimated at around 25,000 tonnes per year.

The captured CO₂ is transported to the offshore Porto Corsini Mare Ovest platform through repurposed pipelines and then stored at a depth of 3,000m in the depleted gas field, Porto Corsini Mare Ovest.

Powered by electricity from renewable sources, the CCS project has already achieved a reduction of more than 90% in CO₂ emissions from the Eni plant’s chimney, with peaks of 96%.

Phase two of the CCS project is expected to store up to 4mtpa of CO₂ by 2030, in alignment with Italy's Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan.

The depleted gas fields in the Adriatic Sea could potentially store up to 16mtpa of CO₂.

Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi 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.

“We are tackling the complexity of the energy transition with real substance and determination, increasing and enhancing the solutions available to us to decarbonise our activities as well as various areas of economic and industrial systems.”

Eni and Snam are also exploring the potential future reuse of the captured CO₂ through ongoing research and development studies.

Last year, Snam acquired Eni’s 49.9% stake in companies operating two groups of gas pipelines between North Africa and Italy.