It is a first step. But it has a meaning that goes beyond the single initiative because it triggers the change of the refining plants belonging to Isab, in Priolo, in the Syracuse industrial area. A change that starts from the existing structures and currently involves one of the two Isab refineries: the one commonly called Priolo Nord. Here the processing of vegetable oils to produce bio-gasoline and SAF, the sustainable fuel intended for aviation, has started. It is not, of course, yet the conversion of the large Syracuse oil complex, but it is the first concrete step of a transformation that can combine traditional refining with new lower-carbon supply chains.
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The production uses the FCC plant (Fluid Catalytic Cracking: the refinery process that transforms the heavy fractions of oil into lighter and higher-value products), into which POME, the liquid residue from palm oil processing, is introduced. The raw material is ISCC certified, guaranteeing the traceability and sustainability of the supply chain. Production will grow up to 500 thousand tons per year, destined for the Italian market. Marketing will be handled by Ludoil Energy.
Ludoil is the commercial partner of the new green production and is also the Italian group that, through Ludoil Capital, signed with Goi Energy, the Cypriot group controlling the refineries, the agreement to acquire Isab. The operation is divided into two phases and the first concerns 51% of the capital. The transfer is subject to the Government’s decision within the Golden power procedure and the Antitrust approval, which have yet to express their opinion on the operation, as well as other regulatory requirements. Until closing, the refinery remains under the control of Goi Energy, which acquired it from the Russian Lukoil in 2023.
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Co-processing allows the processing of biological raw materials in an already operational plant, shortening the time compared to building a new biorefinery. But the productive core of Isab remains linked to crude oil: the new line marks the start, not the completion, of the conversion.
The project goes beyond SAF. The goal is to transform Isab from a traditional refinery to an integrated Energy Company, extending the activity from crude processing to advanced bioenergies, renewables, logistics, and distribution. In the medium term, supply chains for HVO, SAF, bio-oil, second-generation bioethanol, and BioETBE are planned, with investments consistent with the RED III directive. To the 540-megawatt power and cogeneration plant, another 20 megawatts from renewable sources should be added.
