Eni AI Infrastructure Pivot 2025: From Oil Major to Tech Powerhouse
Eni’s Commercial Scale Data Center Projects Signal Strategic Shift in 2025
Eni executed a significant strategic pivot in 2025, transitioning from using artificial intelligence for internal optimization to building AI-enabling infrastructure as a new core business.
- Between 2021 and 2024, Eni’s AI strategy focused on improving efficiency in its legacy operations. The company invested in foundational capabilities like its HPC6 supercomputer for geological studies and deployed digital twins with partners like AVEVA to optimize production assets.
- In 2025, the strategy evolved toward direct commercialization of AI infrastructure, evidenced by a Letter of Intent with MGX and G42 to develop up to 1 GW of data center capacity in Italy.
- This culminated in a joint venture with Khazna Data Centers in July 2025 to build a 500 MW “AI Data Center Campus” near Milan, a concrete step to build and operate large-scale infrastructure for external customers.
- This shift indicates Eni is moving beyond being a consumer of AI technology to becoming a foundational provider for the AI industry, creating a captive, high-growth market for its own energy products.
Eni’s Strategic Investments in AI and Future Energy 2025
Eni’s capital allocation in 2025 reflects its dual strategy of funding new AI-related infrastructure while securing the large-scale energy sources required to power them. These investments are significantly larger and more focused on new business lines compared to the venture-style investments of the prior period.
Table: Eni’s Key Capital Allocations for Technology and Infrastructure
| Partner / Project | Time Frame | Details and Strategic Purpose | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coral North FLNG Project | Oct 2025 | Eni approved a $7.2 Billion investment for a floating liquefied natural gas project in Mozambique. This secures future energy supply to meet growing global demand, including from the power-intensive AI sector. | Eni agrees to build $7.2B gas project in Mozambique |
| Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) | Sep 2025 | Eni signed a Power Purchase Agreement valued at over $1 Billion to offtake power from CFS’s first commercial fusion plant. This secures a future zero-carbon energy source for its operations, including data centers. | Eni and Commonwealth Fusion Systems sign $1 billion+ … |
| Radical AI | Jul 2025 | Eni’s venture arm, Eni Next, participated in a $55 million Seed funding round for Radical AI. The startup is developing autonomous laboratories using AI for materials R&D. | Radical AI Raises $55M Seed Funding From RTX Ventures … |
| AI Data Center Campus | Jul 2025 | Through a joint venture with Khazna, Eni initiated the development of a 500 MW AI data center campus near Milan. A project of this scale represents a multi-billion dollar investment in digital infrastructure. | Khazna Data Centers and Eni Partner to Develop 500 MW … |
| North Africa Energy Projects | Apr 2025 | Eni announced plans to invest $26.24 Billion over four years in energy projects in North Africa. The investment includes using AI to improve efficiency. | Eni To Invest $26 Billion Across North Africa |
| Dronus | Nov 2024 | Eni Next made a strategic investment in Dronus to develop automated drone monitoring solutions for industrial plants, aligning with Eni’s digitalization strategy. | Dronus gets a strategic investment by Eni Next |
| Plenitude | Nov 2024 & Dec 2023 | Energy Infrastructure Partners invested a total of €800 million ($852 million) in Eni’s renewables unit, Plenitude, which utilizes AI for customer service and energy flexibility. | EIP to increase stake in Eni’s renewables unit Plenitude |
| Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) | Dec 2021 | Eni participated in a $1.8 billion Series B funding round for CFS to support the construction of the SPARC fusion device, a project heavily dependent on AI-driven simulation. | Eni takes part in $1.8 bln fund raising for nuclear fusion … |
Eni’s Strategic Partnerships Driving its 2025 AI and Tech Pivot
Eni has assembled a network of high-profile partnerships to execute its AI infrastructure strategy, combining its energy and engineering expertise with external technology and investment capabilities. The collaborations established in 2025 are centered on large-scale asset development, contrasting with the more foundational technology partnerships of previous years.
Table: Eni’s Key Technology and Infrastructure Partnerships
| Partner / Project | Time Frame | Details and Strategic Purpose | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| NetBIT, Ciena, Braxem | Nov 2025 | Eni’s business unit, ENI Networks, is launching a next-generation enterprise network in central Mexico through a strategic alliance, expanding its digital service offerings. | ENI Networks, NetBIT, Ciena, & Braxem Launch Next-Gen … |
| Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) | Aug 2025 | Eni signed an agreement for GIP (part of BlackRock) to acquire a stake in its CCUS business, creating a platform to advance large-scale carbon capture projects. | Eni: signs agreement for GIP to enter Eni CCUS Holding’s … |
| Khazna Data Centers | Jul 2025 | Formed a joint venture to build and operate a 500 MW AI data center campus in Italy. This is the first major execution step in Eni’s plan to become an AI infrastructure provider. | Khazna Data Centers and Eni partner to develop 500 MW … |
| SLB (Schlumberger) | Jul 2025 | Collaborating to integrate digital, AI, and automation technologies into drilling operations to enhance efficiency and performance in the upstream sector. | Eni using digital, AI, and automation to drill beyond limits |
| Azimut Group | Jun 2025 | Eni Next will provide advisory support for a new venture capital fund launched by Azimut focused on breakthrough energy technologies. | Azimut and Eni Next partner for energy innovation |
| MGX and G42 | Feb 2025 | Signed a Letter of Intent with the UAE-based firms to develop up to 1 GW of data center capacity in Italy, establishing the strategic framework for Eni’s digital infrastructure ambitions. | Eni partners with UAE’s MGX and G42 to develop 1GW of … |
| ITQuanta | Jul 2024 | Formed the Eniquantic joint venture to develop and commercialize proprietary quantum computing technology, a long-term initiative to enhance AI and simulation capabilities. | Eni launches Eniquantic, a new venture for the … |
| Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) | Feb 2024 | Selected HPE to build its HPC6 supercomputer, a foundational partnership providing the hardware backbone for Eni’s entire AI and simulation strategy. | Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Eni build one of the world’s … |
| Amazon Web Services (AWS) | May 2022 | Collaborated with AWS to leverage its cloud infrastructure and AI/ML tools to enhance geoscience data analysis, improving upstream efficiency. | Eni works with AWS to boost efficiency of geoscience … |
Eni Deepens Italian AI Focus While Maintaining Global Energy Reach
Eni has concentrated its high-technology and AI infrastructure development in Italy while continuing to secure global energy resources to power these new ventures.
- Between 2021 and 2024, Eni’s technology-related geographic footprint was diverse, including a partnership with AWS in the US for cloud computing and a major carbon capture project, HyNet North West, in the UK.
- In 2025, Italy became the clear hub for Eni’s AI infrastructure strategy. The plan to develop up to 1 GW of data centers with partners MGX and G42 is located entirely in Italy, anchored by the 500 MW campus in Lombardy.
- The company’s proprietary supercomputing assets, including the world-class HPC6, are also centralized at its Green Data Center in Italy, making the country its computational nerve center.
- Simultaneously, Eni secured energy supply from international locations, with a $7.2 Billion LNG investment in Mozambique, a $26.24 Billion investment plan for North Africa, and a major fusion PPA sourced from a plant in Virginia, USA, ensuring energy security for its power-intensive Italian tech hubs.
Eni Advances AI Infrastructure from R&D to Commercial Scale
Eni’s AI-related technology progressed from a research and internal support function to a commercially deployed, large-scale business line in 2025.
- The 2021 to 2024 period was defined by building foundational capabilities and exploring future technologies. Key developments included the construction of the HPC6 supercomputer with HPE, the formation of the Eniquantic joint venture for quantum computing R&D, and the initial $1.8 billion investment in CFS for fusion energy research.
- The year 2025 marked a distinct shift to commercialization. The joint venture with Khazna to build a 500 MW AI data center campus is not an R&D project but a large-scale commercial undertaking designed to generate revenue by serving external market demand.
- This transition is validated by the more than $1 Billion Power Purchase Agreement with CFS. This agreement moves the fusion partnership from an R&D investment to a binding commercial offtake arrangement for a future industrial asset, signaling a clear path from research to commercial reality.
Table: Eni SWOT Analysis: Strategic Pivot to AI Infrastructure (2021-2025)
| SWOT Category | 2021 – 2023 | 2024 – 2025 | What Changed / Resolved / Validated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strengths | Strong cash flow from core business (proforma adjusted EBIT of nearly €18 billion in 2023) to fund transition projects. | Proprietary world-class supercomputing infrastructure (HPC6 at 606 PFlop/s) and established joint ventures for large-scale data center development (Khazna). | The company converted financial strength into tangible, industry-leading technological assets and high-value commercial partnerships. |
| Weaknesses | Heavy reliance on fossil fuels for revenue; diversification efforts were in early R&D stages (e.g., initial CFS investment). | Immense capital expenditure required for data centers and fusion PPA (multi-billion dollar commitments) with long-term, uncertain profitability timelines. | The company’s financial risk profile increased significantly due to large, long-horizon capital commitments in new and unproven sectors. |
| Opportunities | Leverage AI and cloud partners (e.g., AWS) to optimize existing upstream operations and improve internal efficiency. | Capture exponential growth in AI energy demand by building and operating up to 1 GW of data center capacity in Italy; become an integrated energy and tech infrastructure provider. | The strategic focus shifted from internal optimization to creating and capturing a new, external market opportunity. |
| Threats | Long-term decline of fossil fuels and mounting regulatory pressure on emissions. | High execution risk on complex, large-scale infrastructure projects (data centers); competition from global tech giants; potential for AI demand to strain existing power grids. | Threats evolved from a long-term structural decline to more immediate execution, competitive, and operational risks in a new, fast-moving market. |
Eni’s Future Hinges on Execution of its 1 GW AI Data Center Program
The most critical action for Eni is the successful and timely execution of its AI data center construction program, which will serve as the primary validation of its strategic transformation.
- The key milestone to monitor is the final investment decision and start of construction for the 500 MW AI data center campus with Khazna, the first phase of its 1 GW goal.
- Progress on the Commonwealth Fusion Systems commercial power plant is crucial, as the viability of Eni’s $1 billion+ power purchase agreement depends on its successful and timely commissioning.
- The planned launch of a dedicated Carbon Capture and Storage satellite company in 2025 should be watched, as it will likely become a major user of AI for optimizing CO₂ storage and demonstrate synergies with the core tech strategy.
- Further integration of AI into Eni’s Plenitude renewables arm is expected, particularly in areas like energy trading and grid optimization, to maximize the value of its growing clean energy portfolio.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary strategic change Eni made in 2025 regarding artificial intelligence?
In 2025, Eni shifted its strategy from using AI primarily for internal optimization to a new core business of building and commercializing AI-enabling infrastructure, such as large-scale data centers, for external customers.
What are the most significant projects that demonstrate Eni’s pivot to becoming an AI infrastructure provider?
The most significant projects are the Letter of Intent with MGX and G42 to develop up to 1 GW of data center capacity in Italy, and the subsequent joint venture with Khazna Data Centers to build a 500 MW AI data center campus near Milan.
How is Eni planning to power these energy-intensive data centers in the future?
Eni is securing energy through large-scale investments in both traditional and future energy sources. This includes a $7.2 billion LNG project in Mozambique and a forward-looking Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) worth over $1 billion to offtake power from Commonwealth Fusion Systems’ (CFS) first commercial fusion plant.
How did Eni’s partnership strategy evolve in 2025?
In 2025, Eni’s partnerships shifted from foundational technology providers (like HPE for supercomputers) to collaborations focused on large-scale asset development and commercialization, such as the joint venture with Khazna to build data centers and the agreement with GIP to advance its carbon capture business.
Where is Eni concentrating its AI infrastructure development, and how does this contrast with its energy sourcing?
Eni is concentrating its AI and high-tech infrastructure development, including its HPC6 supercomputer and the planned 1 GW of data centers, primarily in Italy. In contrast, it is securing the necessary energy supply from global sources, including major investments in North Africa and Mozambique, and a fusion power agreement for a plant based in the USA.
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