The Algerian group Sonatrach has announced the start of commercial production of a fuel integrating a biological component into its Augusta refinery, located in Sicily, Italy. Information, relayed Sunday January 18 by the Algerian press, issued by Sonatrach Raffineria Italiana, a subsidiary of the group in charge of operating the site.

“An important step has been taken by Sonatrach Raffineria Italiana with the start of production of gasoline containing ethanol (E5), whose first tanker truck was shipped on 14 January from its terminal in Augusta,” the company said in a communication published on his LinkedIn page. This new production marks the introduction effective use of a gasoline-ethanol mixture in industrial activities of site.

According to the Italian subsidiary, the incorporation of ethanol is part of a strategy to increase the proportion of components biologics in automotive fuels produced in Augusta. This industrial orientation is presented as a direct contribution to energy transition process initiated by Sonatrach, in a context European marked by increasing environmental requirements.

The Augusta refinery, a strategic asset but

The Augusta refinery is one of the main assets Sonatrach manufacturers outside Algeria. It was acquired in 2018 from by Esso Italiana, a subsidiary of the American group ExxonMobil. At the time, Sonatrach had specified that the installation had a treatment capacity of about 10 million tons of crude oil per year, underlining its importance strategic in the group's industrial structure in Europe.

However, this acquisition had aroused strong reactions. controversies in Algeria, in particular because of the amount of the transaction, estimated at 720 million dollars, and the condition of the equipment. Several media then pointed out the high costs of upgrading the site and the questions about the profitability of the investment. In September 2022, these controversies were revived by the arrest of three leaders of Sonatrach following an investigation conducted by the Algerian authorities.