FPT Industrial is stepping up its efforts to be carbon neutral and sustainable. Aware of the obligations that come with being a top engine maker, the brand has decided to pursue sustainability in power generation, vehicle and marine propulsion, and power generation in a factual manner globally.
Consistently with its strategy which involves the parallel development of new and more environmentally friendly ICEs, with a greater range of alternative fuels being tested or utilized, in addition to hybrid and fully electrified products, FPT Industrial is progressively approaching the net-zero carbon emissions target with a comprehensive approach that covers not only its plants, products, and processes, but also other activities that may release carbon emissions, like its participation in significant international fairs.
These significant initiatives are dependent on ongoing research, and eleven global R&D Centers have made significant contributions to laying the groundwork for a new, workable definition of sustainability that will give equal weight to combating climate change and corporate development.
“As a Brand that not only produces and sells but also designs powertrains, we are intrinsically involved in the pillar of Carbon Footprint reduction that we consider a roadmap and a mindset,” says Egle Panzella, Brand Equity and Corporate Social Responsibility Manager at FPT Industrial. “This is why we are prioritizing finding new ways to reduce our Carbon Footprint by changing our behaviors and bringing sustainability into our daily jobs, without considering it an abstract value.”
A DETAIL-ABLE TAKE ON SUSTAINABILITY
FPT Industrial has been implementing Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for the past ten years, starting with a pilot project for its 3.0-liter F1C Diesel light commercial vehicle engine, which is produced at its Foggia, Italy, plant.
The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a comprehensive study that evaluates the overall possible environmental effects of a process, product, or service. It does this by accounting for all energy and materials needed throughout the supply and value chains, as well as computing the associated emissions to the environment.
In light of the study’s findings, the brand made the decision to fund three initiatives at three landfill biogas facilities in the Piedmont region of Italy in order to offset the 16,500 tons of CO2 emissions produced during the upstream activities and production of F1C engines.
Afterwards, FPT Industrial broadened the scope of its life cycle assessment (LCA) efforts to include its Cursor 13 diesel and NEF engines, so encompassing all three ICE categories: light, medium, and heavy. In order to finish evaluating its offerings, FPT Industrial performed a life cycle assessment (LCA) on the carbon footprint of the 37-kWh battery pack used in the IVECO eDaily. This battery pack is constructed at FPT Industrial’s ePowertrain facility in Turin, Italy, using parts provided by key partner Microvast.
This is the first Industry 4.0 carbon-neutral facility of the Iveco Group, with multiple solar and wind-powered electricity generation systems. The plant also has a 6,000 square meter Sustainability Garden, which is home to 100 native plants with a high potential to absorb CO2 and withstand drought. The purchase of certified carbon credits offsets all of the plant’s remaining emissions.
In terms of internal procedures, the Brand neutralized the annual carbon dioxide emissions produced by its Testing Center. Supporting operations at a hydroelectric plant at FPT Industrial facilities in China, along the Huadian Xixi River, entirely offset the 15,000 tons of CO2 produced by the facility annually.
ENDORSING THE BIODIVERSITY’S PROTECTION
Since FPT Industrial manufactures engines for use in off-road, on-road, and marine contexts, it is in constant contact with a wide range of habitats and feels compelled to preserve biodiversity.
Its environmental protection initiatives include “Fishing for Plastic,” a project aimed at educating the public about the need of keeping seas free of waste and pollution. Forty FPT Industrial-powered fishing boats from San Benedetto del Tronto, Italy, were able to remove more than three tons of plastic from the water as a result of this project.
FPT Industrial also made the decision to assist Urban Forestry, a forestry initiative that involves planting 1,000 native trees of 32 species typical of Piedmont’s woodlands and hedgerows in the Basse di Stura area north of Turin. With a yearly carbon dioxide reduction of roughly ten tons, the four-hectare area is planted with oak, poplar, willow, elm, ash, linden, maple, hawthorn, and various shrubs.
Not to mention, the first biomonitoring station using bees was announced by FPT Industrial and Edison Next, the Edison Group company that assists businesses and regions in the decarbonization process.
The station will be located at FPT Industrial’s Turin Stura site and will consist of six hives of Italian bees, or Apis mellifera ligustica, a subspecies of the western honeybee. The acacia, wildflower, and lime (linden) honeys that these bees produce are of such high caliber that they were recently recognized for their excellence in the 15th regional “Ferrere Miele” competition.
THE CARBON-NEUTRAL BOOTH: THE STAND CREATING A STANDARD
FPT Industrial has been pushing the boundaries of decarbonization since 2023, bringing it to the production of events as well. The company brought its first Carbon Neutral exhibit to the Agritechnica 2023 trade show.
In order to accomplish this, the Brand conducted an LCA of its presence at the exhibition in collaboration with the Polytechnic University of Milan. This analysis helped to optimize the stand’s production, the materials utilized, the staff’s presence at the booth, and most importantly, logistics, which are thought of as the “hot spot” of CO2 creation throughout the entire process.
Shell BioLNG was used to fuel the IVECO S-Way biomethane trucks, which moved the booth from Milan to Hannover and back, resulting in a reduction of nearly 90% of the logistics’ CO2 effect. An estimated 60% less CO2 was produced in the end due to the whole process.
FPT Industrial acquired qualifying carbon credits to offset 16,115 tons CO2eq, attributable to the 2023 Agritechnica booth, Cascinette testing facility, and ePowertrain plant, in order to achieve net-zero carbon emissions.
Situated in the western region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Africa, the project was selected with the assistance of LifeGate’s consultant.
About 300,000 hectares of forest, home to elephants and bonobos (pygmy chimpanzees), within the world’s second-largest intact rainforest and some of the planet’s most significant wetlands, are to be preserved. Nearly 250,000 hectares of peat-rich rainforest were exploited for commercial timber extraction prior to the project’s start.
But since the project began in 2011, the area’s deforestation has stopped, and with the support of reforestation initiatives, the deforested regions have recovered, restoring significant biodiversity and fostering the growth of species.
With an estimated yearly reduction of 5,671,613 tCO2eq, the project is the first of its kind in the Congo basin and is also forging a new route for the prosperity of the local community through global investments in the nearby local communities. These include building and renovating schools, offering health services, assisting with food security, diversifying the agricultural sector, and offering capacity-building initiatives that give local communities more power.
At every major show that it attends, including the forthcoming IAA Transportation in Hanover, FPT Industrial will do a life cycle assessment (LCA) for each of its booths and then offset the emissions, affirmed its official release.
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