Eni and PETRONAS announced that they signed a Feasibility Agreement (FA) on September 7, 2026, during the 2026 Formula 1 (F1) Italian Grand Prix in Monza, Italy, to jointly evaluate the development potential of a commercially scalable, high-performance bio-gasoline. The agreement is built on Ecofining™, Eni’s proprietary process technology that the company has used since 2014 to produce HVO (Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil) biofuels, and is intended to assess the technical, market, and sustainability profile of a new bio-gasoline technology that would first be applied to motorsport-grade fuel and later extended to commercial product development, according to the companies. Having already cooperated both upstream (gas field development) and downstream (bio-refining), the two companies said this new agreement extends that partnership into a new product category.
The core technology underpinning the agreement is Ecofining™, Eni’s proprietary process technology that has been used to produce HVO biofuels since 2014. Eni and PETRONAS have signed a Feasibility Agreement to jointly assess whether a high-performance, commercially scalable bio-gasoline can be developed from renewable feedstocks using the Ecofining™ process as a starting point, according to the companies. While the Ecofining™ process has mainly been used to produce diesel- and jet-range renewable fuels — including HVO diesel and SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel)-biojet — the technology being evaluated under this agreement is said to extend the process into the gasoline range, distinguishing it from the existing HVO technology. Eni is contributing its experience producing commercially available renewable fuels at Enilive biorefineries along with its sustainable energy solutions expertise, while PETRONAS is contributing its fuel technology experience spanning fossil-based fuels to high-performance sustainable fuels for combustion engines, together with its sustainable energy solutions and advanced product development capabilities, it was reported. The scope of the evaluation covers not only technical feasibility but also market and sustainability profiles as well as performance levels for combustion engines, with the companies planning to first assess use in motorsport competition before extending the technology toward commercial products. Specific catalyst or equipment specifications for the new bio-gasoline process, as well as any separate technology licensor, have not been disclosed.
The Feasibility Agreement was signed on September 7, 2026, during the 2026 F1 Italian Grand Prix held in Monza, Italy, according to the companies. Eni has used Ecofining™ technology to produce HVO biofuels since 2014, and HVO diesel produced under Eni’s biofuel brand Enilive is currently available at more than 1,700 service stations across Europe, it was reported. The two companies already have two existing areas of cooperation. One is Searah, a 50:50 joint venture combining a portfolio of 19 gas production and development assets in Indonesia and Malaysia. The other is Pengerang Biorefinery Sdn. Bhd., established jointly by PETRONAS, Enilive, and Euglena. Located in Pengerang, Johor, Malaysia, the biorefinery is targeting the capacity to process up to 650,000 tonnes of renewable feedstocks per year by the second half of 2028, producing SAF, HVO diesel, and bio-naphtha, according to the companies.
This Feasibility Agreement can be seen as extending the cooperation Eni and PETRONAS have already built both upstream, through the Searah gas joint venture, and downstream, through the Pengerang Biorefinery, into a new bio-gasoline product category for motorsport and commercial vehicle use. The companies said the move is intended to broaden their sustainable fuel portfolio in support of the transport sector’s gradual decarbonization.
This agreement can be viewed as an example of renewable fuel technology, which has largely been concentrated on diesel- and jet-range products such as HVO diesel and SAF, seeking to expand into the gasoline range. Because commercialized examples of renewable gasoline-range fuel remain relatively scarce compared with the diesel and jet-fuel segments, the outcome of this joint evaluation could serve as a reference case for other refining and energy companies, as well as technology licensors, exploring similar technologies. Choosing motorsport as the initial application reflects a common technology commercialization path in which new technologies are first validated in high-performance, high-reliability environments before being extended to commercial markets, a pattern that aligns with the broader trend of motorsport organizations, including F1, tightening sustainable fuel requirements. For a company that already operates Ecofining™-based production facilities and feedstock supply networks, extending the technology into a new product line can reduce investment burden and commercialization risk compared with building an entirely new process from scratch, which is likely to draw industry attention. In addition, the fact that two companies with existing cooperation spanning upstream gas field development (Searah) and downstream bio-refining (Pengerang) are now extending their partnership into joint technology evaluation illustrates a broader trend of energy company cooperation expanding beyond individual projects into technology and product portfolios as a whole.
Whether the outcome of this Feasibility Agreement leads to subsequent steps such as an actual technology licensing or joint commercialization agreement will be an initial point of interest. If the bio-gasoline under evaluation is first applied in motorsport competition, how its actual introduction timeline aligns with the tightening sustainable fuel regulations of motorsport bodies such as F1 will also need to be confirmed. The construction progress of the Pengerang Biorefinery, which is targeting startup in the second half of 2028, and whether the facility could later be linked to feedstock supply or production for the new bio-gasoline, are also worth watching. In addition, how progress in developing the 19 gas assets held by the Searah joint venture in Indonesia and Malaysia might create synergies with the two companies’ expanding downstream biofuel business remains to be seen going forward.