Eni’s 2025 Pivot: How the Energy Giant is Powering AI with Low-Carbon Data Centers

Industry Adoption: Eni’s Transformation from Energy User to AI Infrastructure Provider

Between 2021 and 2024, Italian energy major Eni’s engagement with data centers was a sophisticated, but entirely internal, affair. The strategy centered on its proprietary Green Data Center in Ferrera Erbognone, a hub of high-performance computing (HPC) designed to optimize its core business. Investments in its HPC4, HPC5, and the eventual launch of the world-leading HPC6 supercomputer were aimed at accelerating subsurface geological modeling, de-risking exploration, and supporting R&D for its energy transition goals. Partnerships with hardware providers like HPE and data platforms like AWS and MongoDB were tactical, designed to enhance this internal capability. The data center was an advanced tool, making Eni a more efficient energy company.

The year 2025 marks a profound strategic inflection point. Eni has pivoted from being a mere user of high-tech data centers to becoming a full-stack developer and provider of digital infrastructure for the global AI market. This shift was crystallized by the formal announcement of its “Blue Power” concept—a commercial offering of low-carbon electricity generated from gas-fired plants paired with its proprietary Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology. This move directly addresses the data center industry’s trilemma: the need for massive, reliable power, stringent environmental regulations, and grid constraints. The variety of commercial actions in 2025, from a Letter of Intent with MGX and G42 for 1 GW of data center capacity to a more concrete Heads of Terms agreement with Khazna for a 500 MW AI campus, demonstrates a rapid transition from concept to commercial execution. Eni is no longer just using data to find energy; it is building a captive, high-growth market for its energy products by becoming the integrated energy backbone for the AI revolution.

Table: Eni’s Key Investments in Digital Infrastructure and Enabling Technologies

Table: Eni’s Strategic Partnerships for Data Center and Technology Development

Geography: Eni’s Strategy to Make Italy a European AI Hub

In the 2021–2024 period, Eni’s geographic focus was almost exclusively on Ferrera Erbognone, Italy—the site of its Green Data Center. This location was the nerve center for its internal digital transformation, a singular, highly-controlled asset. There was no broader geographic ambition for its data center operations beyond serving its global business from this central hub.

From 2025, the geographic map has been redrawn. While Italy remains the epicenter, the strategy has shifted from internal service to national infrastructure development. The landmark agreements with Khazna, MGX, and G42 target up to 1.5 GW of new data center capacity specifically for Italy, centered around the Milan area. This signals a clear ambition to position Italy as a premier destination for AI and hyperscale computing in Europe, capitalizing on the region’s industrial strength and Eni’s ability to provide low-carbon power. The geographic strategy is now two-tiered: concentrate the physical data center assets in Italy to create a powerful regional hub, while simultaneously forging international partnerships, like the PPA with CFS in the U.S. and the capital partnership with GIP for its CCUS business, to secure the technology and financing needed to power this vision.

Technology Maturity: Eni’s Journey from Internal Tool to Commercial Product

Between 2021 and 2024, Eni’s technology focus was on maturing its internal HPC and data management capabilities. Its Green Data Center design was proven and energy-efficient, and its HPC systems were world-class for industrial use. The launch of the 606 PetaFLOP HPC6 in 2024 represented the peak of this phase: a commercially mature, internally-deployed technology. Concurrently, Eni was in the early exploration stage with next-generation technologies like quantum computing, evidenced by its initial collaboration with PASQAL.

The year 2025 marks a critical shift in technology commercialization. The “Blue Power” concept—integrating high-efficiency gas power with CCS—has moved from an internal R&D concept to the cornerstone of a new commercial offering. While the individual components (gas plants, CCS) are mature, their integrated application as a dedicated power solution for third-party data centers is now moving toward commercial-scale deployment, validated by the 1.5 GW of planned capacity with partners. This is a significant step beyond pilot projects. Furthermore, Eni’s long-term bet on fusion energy has been commercially validated through a landmark $1 billion+ PPA with CFS, moving it from a research collaboration to a future commercial supply agreement. Finally, quantum computing has advanced from exploration to a dedicated development venture with Eniquantic, signaling a commitment to building proprietary hardware and moving closer to future commercial application.

Table: SWOT Analysis of Eni’s Data Center Strategy

Forward-Looking Insights and Summary

The data from 2025 signals that Eni has fundamentally reimagined its role in the energy system. The year ahead will be defined by execution. The most critical signals to watch are the finalization of the joint venture agreements with Khazna, MGX, and G42. These definitive contracts will unlock capital and trigger the start of what is a monumental engineering and construction challenge. Market actors should pay close attention to announcements regarding permitting, financing, and, most importantly, the securing of anchor tenants for this new capacity. The success of this pivot hinges on proving the economic and environmental viability of the “Blue Power” model at scale.

If Eni delivers on this 1.5 GW ambition in Italy, it will not only become a dominant player in the European digital infrastructure landscape but will also create a powerful, replicable blueprint for energy companies worldwide. The key question is whether this model can be exported to other regions where Eni has significant gas reserves and CCS potential. Eni’s strategic pivot is a high-stakes, high-reward bet that could redefine the symbiotic relationship between energy producers and the digital economy for the next decade.

Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly is Eni’s “Blue Power” concept?
Blue Power is Eni’s commercial offering designed for the data center industry. It combines electricity generated from gas-fired power plants with Eni’s own proprietary Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology. This integrated solution aims to provide the massive, reliable power AI data centers require while addressing stringent environmental regulations and grid limitations.

How has Eni’s data center strategy changed in 2025?
Before 2025, Eni’s data centers, like its HPC6 supercomputer, were used internally to optimize its core energy business, such as geological modeling and R&D. In 2025, Eni pivoted to becoming a commercial provider of digital infrastructure. It is now building data centers and selling its low-carbon energy directly to the AI market, effectively turning an internal tool into a new business line.

Who are Eni’s main partners in its plan to build 1.5 GW of data center capacity in Italy?
Eni has formed key strategic partnerships to develop up to 1.5 GW of data center capacity in Italy. The main partners mentioned are Khazna Data Centers, with whom Eni has a Heads of Terms agreement for a 500 MW AI campus, and the UAE-based investment fund MGX and AI group G42, with whom Eni signed a Letter of Intent for up to 1 GW of capacity.

What was Eni using its supercomputers for before this new strategy?
Prior to its 2025 pivot, Eni’s engagement with data centers was an internal operation. Its high-performance computing (HPC) systems, including HPC4, HPC5, and HPC6, were used to enhance its core business by accelerating subsurface geological modeling, de-risking energy exploration, and supporting research and development for its energy transition goals.

According to the analysis, what are the biggest risks to Eni’s new data center venture?
The primary risks include massive execution risk in delivering 1.5 GW of new capacity on time and budget, and a reliance on partners like Khazna for data center operations and sales. Additionally, the economic viability of the “Blue Power” model at such a large scale is commercially unproven, and Eni faces external threats from complex regulatory hurdles, potential construction delays, and competition from operators using 100% renewable energy sources.