ENEA has started a research line on so-called “e-fuels”, green aviation fuels based on renewable hydrogen and carbon dioxide, which envisages the design of a pilot plant to be built in collaboration with the Polytechnic of Milan. The iniative is part of the Operational Research Plan (POR) on renewable hydrogen coordinated by ENEA to address various technological challenges, including production and storage of green hydrogen for distribution and end uses. The POR is funded by the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security with 110 million euro from PNRR funds.

A study conducted by ENEA showed a potential anti-inflammatory effect on the liver by some molecules contained in pomegranate. Published in the international journal “Natural Product Research” and funded by the Italian nutraceutical company Esserre Pharma, it investigated the beneficial effects of some substances contained in large quantities in red grains (arils), in the peel and internal membranes of the fruit.

Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome and ENEA, jointly with the University of Naples Federico II, have developed and tested customized fiber optic sensors to be applied to plants and fruits to monitor their growth and health in a non-invasive way. The outcomes, published in various scientific journals, highlights solutions for sustainable and smart agriculture that uses technology to increase crops yield and quality, in a global scenario increasingly characterized by climate change and population growth.

The genome of Australian tobacco (Nicotiana benthamiana) has been published in the authoritative journal "Nature Plants". The study, which began in 2018, was conducted by an international consortium coordinated by the Queensland University of Technology which includes ENEA, supported by European funding as part of the Horizon 2020 programme.

Enzeb, the first serious game created at ENEA, is set in a condominium in which competitors must achieve the highest level of energy efficiency. Created as part of the ENEA Italia Class A campaign, in collaboration with the Parma Territorial Agency for Energy and Sustainability (ATES) and the ON/OFF Workshops, the game kit is designed to facilitate and make information and training on energy efficiency in the residential sector more inclusive.

The energy performance of the certified national building stock continues to increase significantly as shown by the IV annual report on the energy certification of buildings by ENEA and the Italian Thermotechnical Energy and Environment Committee (CTI), drawn up on the basis of approximately 1.3 million energy performance certificates (APE) registered in the SIAPE and issued in 2022 from 17 Regions and 2 Autonomous Provinces. The report highlights a percentage decrease in properties in the lowest energy classes F and G (-3.7%), compared to a mirror increase in the highest classes A4-B (+3.7%). However, distribution by energy class confirms that approximately 55% shows low energy performance (classes F-G).