Iveco, Maganetti and Levissima-Sanpellegrino open a new LNG-CNG station in Gera Lario (Como). This project sees two leaders in their respective categories of the Dow Jones sustainability indices – CNH Industrial through Iveco and Nestlé through Levissima-Sanpellegrino – join forces to support sustainable logistics to the benefit of the local community.
The deployment of LNG station in Europe accelerates; this is already the 6th station in Italy.
The inauguration ceremony, presided by Pierre Lahutte, Iveco Brand President, Matteo Lorenzo De Campo, CEO of Maganetti Group, and Stefano Agostini, CEO of Levissima-Sanpellegrino Group, saw the presentation of the "LNG Valtellina Logistica Sostenibile" project ("LNG Valtellina Sustainable Logistics" project), backed by Maganetti Group (a leading logistics company operating in the Sondrio province), developed in collaboration with the Levissima-Sanpellegrino Group and supported with Iveco natural gas vehicles.
The initiative was conceived to promote an environmentally-sustainable road-based transport service powered primarily by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as an alternative to diesel and petrol, using LNG-fuelled Iveco vehicles. This decision was motivated by the opportunity for environmental benefits and economic savings provided by the reduced cost of LNG, which boasts the same energy efficiency as traditional fuels, thus offsetting the investment costs required in order to adopt Iveco’s new LNG technology.
The Iveco Stralis NP LNG-powered trucks in the Maganetti fleet which will be involved in the project show the company’s strong links to the region with their personalization: each truck has been named after a place of natural, cultural or economic significance in the Valtellina area and the back doors to its trailer personalized with an photograph of the place. The project will benefit from the new CNG-LNG station built by Ham Italia, an Italian-Spanish company specialising in the design, construction and maintenance of facilities and in the transport and marketing of Liquefied Natural Gas. The Stralis NP vehicles and the new LNG station will play their role in the LNG Valtellina Sustainable Logistics project to spread the use of financially viable, environmentally-friendly logistics solutions and support a sustainable development of the region’s economy.
At the ceremony a CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) Minibus Daily Pop Iveco Bus donated to the Municipality of Gera Lario by the Renzo and Nuccia Maganetti Foundation was officially handed over, as a symbol of the two companies’ commitment to a sustainable transport and logistics industry. The CNGpowered Daily Pop Minibus (50C14 model) features a 28 + 1 + 1 seating configuration, and will provide green transportation for the students from Gera Lario - and it will be able to refuel at its very own LNG and CNG station.
Iveco Stralis NP vehicles, powered by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), were present at the ceremony celebrating the opening ceremony to highlight the advantages of Liquefied Natural Gas and draw attention to the fact that it is now possible to use this fuel in heavy transport with Iveco New Stralis NP trucks, such as the New Stralis NP AS440S40T/P LNG model on display at the event. The New Stralis NP is the first natural gas vehicle designed for long-distance missions, equipped with the 400 hp Iveco Cursor 9 engine, Eurotronic gearbox and double LNG tank (each with a capacity of 540 litres) providing autonomy of up to 1500 km. Participants to the opening ceremony were also able to see how easy it is to refuel at this new station, as demonstrated by the Iveco New Stralis NP trucks.
In his speech, Matteo Lorenzo De Campo highlighted the significance of the inauguration of this new selfservice LNG station, the first of its kind in the Lombardy region, which is unique also in the fact that it is located off the main freight traffic route.
This serves as proof that this technology can still flourish even an area like the Valtellina, which is synonymous with nature and mountainous landscapes, and that today it is increasingly available wherever local industries are motivated to preserve the environment in which they operate.
At the end of his speech, De Campo announced that various government incentives have also allowed for 13 additional new Stralis NP vehicles powered by LNG to be purchased: Maganetti Group will now boast 36 LNG-powered vehicles, representing 20% of the entire fleet.
Pierre Lahutte, Iveco Brand President, expressed his profound appreciation for the proposed project and for the entrepreneurial vision of Maganetti Group, which echoes that pursued by Iveco, the first manufacturer in the world in the commercial transport industry to understand the potential of natural gas.
Iveco has long been a forerunner in the promotion of natural gas as an alternative fuel for trucks, vans and buses.
Iveco's ongoing focus and research into new technologies has enabled the brand to become the European leader in alternative fuels, developing cutting edge solutions contribute to a further reduction of the environmental impact of the transport sector, making Iveco the ideal partner for sustainable transport, as expressed in the brand's pay-off: “Iveco. Your partner for sustainable transport".
For the sixth year in a row, CNH Industrial has been named the leading industrial company in the Dow Jones Sustainability indices for Europe and the world, confirming the essential role that sustainability plays in the company, and bearing testament to the focus of the Group on this issue across all fields of business. The Nestlè Group, to which Sanpellegrino belongs, was crowned most sustainable company in the food industry for 2016 on a worldwide level by the Dow Jones Sustainability Index.
