Italy’s Eni Accelerates Shift to Decarbonisation with New Solar Plants in Tunisia and Pakistan

Eni S.p.A. an Italian oil and gas major has commenced work on the construction of two new solar photovoltaic projects in Pakistan and Tunisia.

The Pakistan plant will be built in close proximity to the Bhit gas field at which Eni is the operator with a 40% stake, through its subsidiary Eni New Energy Pakistan. The Tunisia plant will be built at the ADAM oil concession, at which Eni is the operator with a 25% stake, through its subsidiary Eni Tunisia BV. The projects will support upstream operations by providing green energy with an off-grid setup.

The ADAM photovoltaic project is situated in the Tataouine governorate and has a peak capacity of 5MW. The energy produced will be used on-site, reducing gas consumption and avoiding around 6.500 tonnes/year of CO2 equivalent emissions. The solar plant is expected to be completed by the end of 2019 and is part of the cooperation agreement with the State Company Entreprise Tunisienne d’Activités Pétrolières (ETAP), active in the advancement of renewable energy projects in Tunisia. The project aims to establish a cutting edge hybrid electricity production system with battery storage devices, in order to enable efficient integration with the existing turbines. Once again, Eni confirms its commitment to the decarbonisation of Tunisia’s energy system.

The photovoltaic project of Bhit, with a 10MW peak capacity, is expected to produce approximately 20GWh (Gigawatt hours) annually. The output energy will be used on site, reducing gas consumption and avoiding around 140.000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions in the next 10 years. The project, expected to be completed by October 2019, aims to integrate the new photovoltaic project with the existing power generating facility. Once operational, it will allow the shutdown of one the existing gas turbines and consequently to cut down on operational costs.

The projects are among the first and most relevant of their kind globally, and in both cases aim to create value with the gas saved in the process. The projects allow Eni to strengthen its position by adding extra value, both technically and economically, to its traditional operations by introducing renewable energy installations in the countries where it operates.