Southern Italy faces risk of fuel shortages as Ilva protests impact Eni refinery

A labour dispute over the future of Italy's ​troubled former Ilva steelworks is threatening fuel supplies ​across parts of southern Italy ‌after protesters disrupted ​operations at ENI's refinery in the city of Taranto. Trade unions representing former Ilva workers on Tuesday announced a further 48 hours of ‌strike action, protesting against a government plan that they say leaves thousands of employees facing prolonged reliance on furlough schemes rather than a long-term industrial solution.

The unrest widened beyond the steel plant in Taranto when protesters blockaded ‌access to Eni's nearby refinery, a fuel hub serving the southern regions of Puglia, Basilicata and ‌Calabria. Eni said late on Tuesday that more than 50 of its roughly 300 service stations supplied by the refinery had run out of fuel, while its Enilive unit had declared fuel shortages at the airports of Bari and Brindisi.

The energy ⁠group warned ​that prolonged disruption to supplies ⁠of technical gases and other materials needed to run the plant could force a controlled shutdown of refinery units. Initial aviation ⁠notices warning of low Jet A1 fuel stocks were later upgraded to say fuel was unavailable at Bari ​and Brindisi, except for limited supplies reserved for emergency, rescue, hospital and state flights, with restrictions ⁠set to remain in place until October 16.

Airport authorities said on Wednesday that flights were operating normally, adding that the situation was ⁠being monitored ​closely. The fuel concerns come as the government seeks to contain the fallout from the Ilva crisis. At a cabinet meeting on Tuesday it extended special furlough measures for former Ilva workers and ⁠contractors until June 2027 and introduced hiring incentives for companies taking on ex-Ilva employees.

The cabinet also approved ⁠measures aimed at keeping ⁠the steel plant's blast furnace area in a state of readiness while awaiting an October 20 ruling by Italy's Supreme Court on whether key facilities must ‌be shut down.