By Ayomide Otitoju
The Libya Energy & Economic Summit (LEES) 2026, scheduled for January 24–26 in Tripoli, will feature a dedicated Italy-Libya Roundtable, highlighting Italy’s enduring and expanding role in Libya’s energy, infrastructure, and economic sectors. The session will serve as a platform to discuss strategic partnerships, investment opportunities, and joint initiatives aimed at strengthening Libya’s energy security and infrastructure resilience.
Italian companies are already deeply engaged across Libya’s energy landscape. Last month, Eni resumed exploration after a five-year pause, restarting drilling at the C1-16/4 well in Block 16/4 using Saipem’s Scarabeo-9 rig. Through its 50-50 joint venture with the National Oil Corporation (NOC), Mellitah Oil & Gas, Eni is advancing an €8 billion integrated gas development project targeting production from Structures A&E, expected to deliver 750 million cubic feet per day by 2026.
Italian firms are also contributing to Libya’s offshore projects. Geoscience and construction company Next Geosolutions and its subsidiary Rana Subsea were awarded €8.5 million and €62.5 million contracts, respectively, to support the Bouri Gas Utilization Project. These contracts form part of Saipem’s $1 billion engineering, procurement, construction, installation, and commissioning (EPCIC) program, which aims to revamp offshore platforms, recover associated gas, and reduce CO₂ emissions. Saipem continues to play a central role in Libya’s energy sector through its collaboration with the NOC and Eni.
Beyond energy, Italian firms are active in infrastructure development. Todini Costruzioni Generali was recently awarded the contract for sub-lot 4.3 of the Emsaad-Ras Jedir coastal highway, a 160-km section connecting Al-Azizya to Ras Jedir near the Tunisian border. The project is part of Libya’s 1,750-km coastal corridor under the 2008 Italy-Libya Treaty and reflects Italy’s $5 billion commitment to Libyan infrastructure. Construction on this segment is set to begin immediately, illustrating Italian participation in Libya’s broader economic and connectivity development.
“The Italy-Libya Roundtable at LEES 2026 will showcase the deepening collaboration across energy, infrastructure, and economic development between the two countries,” said James Chester, CEO of Energy Capital & Power. “Italian companies are not just participating in Libya’s recovery—they are helping shape its energy and infrastructure future. LEES 2026 provides a strategic platform to build on this momentum and expand investment pipelines.”
The roundtable will bring together Italian executives, Libyan policymakers, and investors to explore ways to accelerate energy projects, integrate advanced offshore technologies, expand infrastructure contracts, and support Libya’s transition toward cleaner gas utilization and industrial growth. For Italy, LEES 2026 represents an opportunity to translate decades of partnership into tangible, forward-looking investments that strengthen both nations’ economic and energy futures.
