The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a World Bank Group member, and the Italian Climate Fund have announced a US$210 million investment in Italy-headed energy major Eni S.p.A.’s Kenya subsidiary to expand the production and processing of advanced biofuels, supporting the decarbonization of the global transport industry and the livelihoods of up to 200,000 small-scale Kenyan oilseed farmers.
The investment consists of US$135 million from IFC and US$75 million mobilized from the Italian Climate Fund, as part of the implementation of the Italian Government’s Mattei Plan in Kenya.
The Italian Climate Fund’s loan is provided through Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, the manager of the Fund. The Italian Government’s climate fund (Fondo Italiano per il Clima) is aimed at financing public and private projects in emerging and developing countries that contribute to the achievement of climate and environmental targets, in line with Italian international climate commitments.
It will help Eni increase the production of advanced biofuel feedstock grown in Kenya and processing capacity with the construction of new processing plants.
By partnering with IFC and the Italian Climate Fund, Eni further enhances its agrifeed stock projects in Kenya, expanding its reach to up to 200,000 small-scale Kenyan farmers over the next five years, and strengthens the country’s integration in the biofuels value chain. This cooperation fits with Eni’s model to leverage public-private partnerships to support communities, generate long-term value, and create virtuous, lasting alliances with African countries, said Claudio Descalzi, CEO of Eni.
Scale-up oilseeds production
The production of oilseeds, which is the primary feedstock, is expected to increase from 44,000 tonnes to 500,000 tonnes per year.
The project will also work with farmers, providing inputs, mechanization, logistics, certification, and training to help them produce oilseeds. These will be grown on degraded land not suitable for food production and/or grown in rotation with food crops, helping enhance soil fertility.
We welcome this first operation of the Italian Climate Fund established at the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security and managed by Cassa Depositi e Prestiti. This first operation, in line with the inspiring principles of the Mattei Plan, captures two major priorities: investing in the strategic biofuels supply chain, which is decisive for the future of transportation, and addressing the growth of Kenya’s agricultural sector with an intervention of undoubted socio-environmental impact, strengthening resilience to climate change, said Gilberto Pichetto, Italy’s Minister of the Environment and Energy Security.
Global biofuel demand has increased by nearly 6 percent annually for the last five years, as the transport industry looks for solutions to decarbonize.
In a net zero by 2050 scenario, the use of biofuels in transportation is expected to more than double to 9 percent by 2030.
While the production of sustainable biofuels is currently more expensive than traditional fuels, costs are expected to fall as more capacity is built up and technology advances.
This new investment will support these efforts.
Develop Kenyan biofuel value chain
IFC will also provide advisory services that will support the development of the advanced biofuel value chain in Kenya, including through the promotion of good agricultural practices and the professionalization of farmer aggregators.
All of Eni’s biofuel feedstock will receive International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC), a globally recognized scheme for biofuels with rigorous environmental, social, and economic sustainability standards, audited across the entire supply chain.
The success of the project can open up opportunities for replication elsewhere in Africa.
This project marks the dawn of a new industry for Kenya, an industry where Kenya could become a world leader. Producing biofuels will not only help decarbonize our transportation system, it will also generate income for farmers and create jobs along the value chain. We’re proud to partner with a company like Eni, which is leading the efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of the transport industry, said Makhtar Diop, Managing Director, IFC.
