Eni, the Italian energy major, and BMW Italia have signed a Letter of Intent to collaborate on the decarbonization of road transport by advancing both biofuel technologies and electric mobility infrastructure.
At the heart of the partnership is the use of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), a next-generation biofuel produced by Eni’s subsidiary Enilive using 100% renewable raw materials.
HVO is compatible with existing diesel engines and fueling infrastructure, offering a practical solution for reducing emissions without requiring extensive system overhauls.
“Eni and BMW Italia, prominent leaders in their respective sectors, are pooling their technology and expertise to advance significantly towards the decarbonization of transport,” said Claudio Descalzi, CEO of Eni.
“To achieve a successful energy transition, it is crucial to combine efforts across economic and industrial sectors, leveraging all available sustainable technologies and industrial initiatives.”
A three-pillar strategy
The collaboration is based on three key areas:
- Promoting a balanced mix of energy solutions, including biofuels and electric mobility.
- Testing HVO in BMW diesel engines to validate performance and emissions benefits.
- Expanding EV infrastructure by identifying strategic locations for new charging hubs, catering to BMW’s growing electric vehicle customer base.
“We believe that employing biofuels such as pure HVO in diesel engines presents a significant opportunity,” said Massimiliano Di Silvestre, President and CEO of BMW Italia.
“This applies equally to both our new vehicles and the existing fleet of approximately 500,000 BMWs in Italy, delivering immediate environmental benefits with up to a 90% reduction in GHG emissions.”
The agreement builds on BMW’s existing collaboration with Plenitude, Eni’s renewable energy and retail division, to improve infrastructure and services for electric mobility.
“BMW has been ready for this technology since 2015, and we are proud to collaborate with Eni and Enilive to promote biofuels in the market,” Di Silvestre added.
Eni’s expanding green strategy
This month, Eni finally sold 20% of its stake in Plenitude to global investment firm Ares for approximately $2.3 billion.
The transaction reinforces Eni’s “satellite model”, a strategy where it enables growth through partnerships while maintaining operational control.
This strategic alliance with BMW strengthens both companies’ commitment to net-zero mobility, especially as global automakers and energy firms face mounting pressure to meet climate and emissions targets.
Additionally, Eni recently signed an agreement with Côte d’Ivoire’s Ministry of Agriculture to explore biofuel crop cultivation on marginal and degraded lands.
“The agreement further aims to evaluate the strategic introduction of oilseed crops on marginal and degraded lands, thereby contributing significantly to the nation’s sustainable agricultural development while explicitly avoiding competition with food production and existing forest ecosystems,” Eni stated.
As part of its broader sustainability goals, Eni aims to produce 1 million tonnes per year of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) by 2026, with a potential to double that by the end of the decade.
Globally, SAF production is expected to reach 2 million tonnes this year alone.