Eni and the City of Venice sign agreement to test new 15% renewable fuel in public transport vessels

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Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF.

AVM (Azienda Veneziana della Mobilità) Group, the City of Venice, Eni and Veritas have signed an agreement to launch a large-scale experimental project based on the use of the new fuel Eni Diesel+ in public transport vessels (see press release, 9/3/2018). Such fuel is 15% renewable and will be supplied to AVM, the Venetian public transport company, at the same cost as traditional diesel.

Figure 1. Venice's water bus system is the city's major form of public transportation

The renewable part of this fuel is generated in the Eni biorefinery at Porto Marghera. Through the EcofiningTM technology of UOP, the existing Venice refinery was transformed into a biorefinery for the production of advanced biofuels, predominately renewable diesel. Veritas, a company which collects and processes waste in the Venice area, will send domestic frying oil (after purification) to the biorefinery.

To test the results of reduction in polluting emissions from Eni Diesel+, a bus was used at Eni’s laboratories in Milan. Eni carried out these tests in collaboration with and under the supervision of the Istituto Motori of the CNR (Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche) in Naples. The tests have shown a reduction in polluting emissions, in particular nitrogen oxides and ultrafine particles, in addition to lower consumption due to the high calorific value of the fuel’s renewable component.

Now, tests on marine engines will be carried out during the experimentation phase in Venice. The trial will run for seven months, from 1 April to 31 October 2018. All the vessels of the AVM/Actv fleet, which currently run on traditional diesel fuel, will use the new fuel.

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