Some businesses grow by gradually expanding what they already do, while others choose to venture into new areas without losing touch with their history. Ludoil Energy falls into the latter category. Its business journey began in 1954 in Nola, in Campania, as a family-run business specialising in fuel distribution. More than seventy years on, that same group now oversees a supply chain encompassing procurement, storage, logistics, distribution, aviation fuels, biomethane, and renewable energy sources. A journey built up over time that offers an interesting example of the evolution of a family-run Made in Italy business.
From distribution to the energy supply chain
The history of Ludoil began in 1954, when Donato Ammaturo, the grandfather of the current chairman and CEO, set up a fuel distribution business in central and southern Italy. The first storage depot was established in Nola and is still in operation today.
The turning point came in 1998, when the current generation of the family founded Ludoil S.r.l. and began a growth strategy that included acquisitions. The first was Darm Petroli, which owned several petrol stations.
Since then, the group has gradually expanded its operations, moving from selling energy products to managing logistics and storage infrastructure. Today, according to the group’s figures, Ludoil operates five storage depots and approximately 120 kilometres of oil pipelines. In 2025, it recorded a turnover of 3.87 billion euros and an EBITDA of 108 million.
One of the most significant pieces of infrastructure is the pipeline linking the storage facilities in Civitavecchia to Rome-Fiumicino Airport, approximately 63 kilometres long. This network has also supported the development of sustainable aviation fuels: Ludoil has launched operations to supply and handle Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
From mobility to the circular economy
Diversification has also led the group into the circular economy and bioenergy sectors. In 2023, Ludoil acquired Isecold and Engas, strengthening its presence in logistics and biomethane.
A significant part of this initiative is centred on Sicily. In July 2025, the Raco plant in Belpasso, in the province of Catania, began operations; it produces biomethane from the organic fraction of municipal waste for injection into the national grid.
In Dittaino, in the province of Enna, the Engas project is currently under development; it is designed to process around 69,000 tonnes per year of organic and green waste to produce biomethane. In June 2026, the project was financed by a €40 million Green Bond, underwritten by Crédit Agricole Italia and UniCredit and backed by SACE’s Archimede Guarantee. This development shows how the group is leveraging its established expertise and infrastructure to enter new sectors linked to the energy transition.
ISAB: the next chapter
Ludoil’s most significant recent milestone came in 2026 with an agreement to acquire a controlling stake in ISAB, the company that owns the Priolo Gargallo refinery in the province of Syracuse and the associated industrial, logistics, and energy infrastructure. The transaction brings one of Italy’s leading refining hubs under Ludoil’s control and enables the group to control around one-fifth of the country’s refining capacity.
For Ludoil, this represents a significant leap forward and, at the same time, a further step towards building an integrated supply chain: from procurement to refining, and from logistics to distribution.
The group has stated its intention to support ISAB’s transformation into an integrated energy hub, while gradually developing new value chains for advanced biofuels, including HVO and Sustainable Aviation Fuel.
Made in Italy built on expertise and infrastructure
Rather than the result of a single insight, Ludoil’s story is therefore one of gradual diversification. A company that began as a local family business has, over time, built the expertise, infrastructure, and financial capacity needed to operate in a strategic sector such as the energy industry.
The connection to the local area remains a key element of the company’s journey: from Nola to the logistics network in Civitavecchia, through investments in biomethane in Sicily, and, today, the refinery in Priolo.
At the same time, this growth has led the group to adopt an increasingly complex structure, with investment in in-house training and tools dedicated to sustainability and governance.
Ludoil’s entry into Unem, announced in September 2026, marks a further step in this development. The group now has a presence across several segments of Italy’s energy sector.
The challenge in the coming years will be to integrate diverse activities and skills and to support the transition of traditional assets towards new energy models. This journey makes Ludoil’s history particularly interesting within the narrative of contemporary Made in Italy: not just products, but also industrial capability, investment, expertise and deep roots in local communities.
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