Completion of the project is forecast by 2027.
The facility will process around 400,000 tons of renewable bio-feedstock annually, such as used cooking oil and waste residues, using Ecofining technology developed by Eni and Honeywell UOP. HVO and SAF, produced through hydrogenation, significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional fossil fuels, aligning with global renewable fuel mandates driving increased demand.
LG Chem CEO Shin Hak-cheol emphasized the project’s role in the company’s sustainability strategy: “LG Chem is transforming its portfolio to build a low-carbon foundation that ensures both a progressively more sustainable growth and profitability. By advancing innovation in renewable fuels and biobased feedstocks like HVO, we aim to strengthen our global competitiveness and meet our customers’ evolving needs efficiently.”
The biorefinery enhances LG Chem’s portfolio of International Sustainability and Carbon Certification PLUS-certified products, supporting applications like acrylonitrile butadiene styrene for electronics and vehicles, ethylene-vinyl acetate for sporting goods, and superabsorbent polymers for hygiene products. The initiative marks a significant step for LG Chem in expanding its presence in the renewable energy sector.
Enilive CEO Stefano Ballista highlighted the project’s contribution to global biofuel goals: “The Seosan biorefinery breaking ground reaffirms Enilive’s strategy in offering increasingly sustainable products and our company’s position as a leader in biofuels production. Together with the plants that are already operational in Italy and in the US, and with new biorefining plants under construction in Italy and Malaysia, the upcoming biorefining plant in Daesan will contribute to reach our 2030 target to increase our biorefining capacity to over five million tons per year, with the potential to produce more than two million tons per year of SAF.”
The Daesan facility strengthens South Korea’s renewable energy infrastructure and supports global efforts toward sustainable fuel production, positioning LG Chem and Enilive as key players in the transition to low-carbon energy solutions.
