Eni S.p.A.

Introduction

Eni is one of the most important integrated energy companies in the world operating in the oil and gas, power generation, petrochemicals, oilfield services construction and engineering industries. Eni is active in around 70 countries with a staff of 73.000 employees. The ENI Refining & Marketing R&D centres are some of the major centres of excellence for the industrial research. They work in the oil and gas whole technology chain and in the renewable sources, while safeguarding the environment, in a sustainable development perspective. The areas for technological innovation are: upstream oil and gas, natural gas conversion and bituminous sources, downstream gas, downstream oil products development (fuels, lubricants and specialities), advanced energy systems, environment and sustainability.

The competences

In the Downstream Process Technology Research Department, involved in the present project, are present specific skills in synthesis of new and advanced materials with a special focus on solid acid catalysts and oxidation catalysts, both homogeneous and heterogeneous. These new materials will be used in the development of environmentally friendly technologies, which can ensure the best use of raw materials and the reduction of by-products. Are also present skills on catalytic tests from laboratory to pilot-plant scale, on traditional chemical-physics characterization (XRD, NMR, SEM, TEM) and on the determination of the adsorption capacity.

Heteropolyacids at ENI: in our research centre we are able to synthesize and prepare many kind of heteropolyacids with different crystal structure (Keggin, Dawson, Dexter-Silverton, Andreson), both as pure phase and supported on suitable high surface area oxides. We have also developed oxidation catalysts based on heteropolyacids and tested in several petrochemical reaction such as H₂S abatement, kerosene sweetening, diesel deep desulfurization… Eni is proprietary of many patents claiming new heteropolyacids based catalysts.

The role in NEXT-GTL

ENI is WP leader of WP2, it will involved in performing tests at lager scale of prepared catalysts for methane direct conversion to methanol, based on heteropolyacids. It will be active also in the technical feasibility of the new catalysts which have be proved to have a suitable life.

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