Eni Chief Says Data Centre Work With Khazna and G42 Is Part of Its UAE Partnership

Descalzi told WAM that Eni's activities in the UAE cover gas and oil development and that its ties with ADNOC go beyond commercial dealings. He described the planned digital infrastructure work as part of a future the partners are building together. He said Eni has already signed agreements and expects to sign more, and that it is working to complete the final investment decision on a data centre project in Italy. He also said the company expects to take a final investment decision on what he called one of the world's largest energy projects, in Argentina.

The Milan Campus

Eni's data centre plans with UAE partners date back to a letter of intent signed in February 2025 with MGX and G42, both investors in Khazna, covering up to 1GW of new capacity in Italy. In July 2025, Khazna and Eni signed a non-binding head of terms to form a joint venture for a 500MW AI data centre campus at Ferrera Erbognone in Lombardy, near Milan, according to DatacenterDynamics. Eni has said it would supply the site with power from a new gas-fired plant fitted with carbon capture. Descalzi did not say in the interview which project the coming investment decision relates to or give a timeline.

Gas as AI Baseload

Descalzi linked the data centre build-out to Eni's core business. He told WAM that population growth and the spread of data centres and AI are increasing the need for stable baseload power. In his view, gas and nuclear can supply that baseload, while renewables, which Eni is also developing, are an important additional source.

He said fossil fuels still meet more than 80% of global energy demand, and that a large share of the world's inventories had been drawn down over the past nine months and will need to be rebuilt while demand keeps rising. Meeting that demand, he said, needs more investment and more cooperation between companies. Eni is also working with ADNOC on making infrastructure more secure and resilient, including diversifying the routes used to move oil and gas, he said.

On production, Descalzi said Eni produces about 1.9 million barrels of oil equivalent a day, up 7% compared with 2025, and expects output to grow by 4% to 5% a year until 2030. He said the company operates in about 60 countries, with resources under development in places including Venezuela, Argentina, Mexico, Indonesia, Malaysia, North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa and the North Sea.

Why It Matters

The interview adds to a theme that has run through this year's ADIPEC: Gulf and international energy companies presenting themselves as suppliers of power and capital for AI infrastructure, not only of oil and gas. For Abu Dhabi, the Eni partnership is one route through which Khazna and G42 are exporting their data centre model to Europe, where grid capacity and power prices are major constraints on new AI campuses.