CNH Industrial N.V., together with the Italian Biogas Consortium (CIB), hosted an expert discussion panel in Milan to spotlight important topics surrounding the use and further implementation of biogas for sustainable mobility. Increasingly seen as one of the most important and sustainable alternative fuels for the future, biogas can be produced from raw materials such as agricultural waste, manure, plant material and food waste. It is ideal for applications such as agriculture and can already be used as biomethane to power on-road vehicles.
The discussion panel, aptly titled “The Biogas Done Right Model,” was sponsored by the Italian Ministry of the Environment, Land and Sea. It saw the involvement of academic scholars; institutional associations such as the European Biogas Association, public officials and product experts from CNH Industrial brands. It took place in Milan for the occasion of the start of Expo 2015, the universal event to which CNH Industrial is a Global Partner.
Bruce E. Dale, a well-known authority on biofuels and Professor of Chemical Engineering at Michigan State University, and the event’s Keynote Speaker, shared his insights on biofuels with the panel and illustrated the essentiality of biogas for the transport sector, and for the Earth’s future at large.
“Biomethane represents a further step to more sustainable mobility that uses renewable sources to support it. CNH Industrial has long advocated for the use of biomethane as we believe in its potential benefits in both environmental and economic terms. Our brands already offer a range of vehicles which run on natural gas, that can already be fuelled using biomethane as a biofuel,” said Michele Ziosi, Head of Institutional Relations for the EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) region at CNH Industrial, in his introduction at the workshop.
“Six years after the adoption of the European Directive 2009/28/EC on renewable energy, the (Italian) Ministry of the Environment continues to consider biomethane as one of the most significant sources and one that is useful in order to achieve the environmental objectives of the European Union in the field of transport,” commented Carlo Medaglia, Advisor to Italy’s Ministry of the Environment, Land and Sea in his address to the audience.
The panel also heard from product experts from CNH Industrial brands who showcased how natural gas technologies are being pursued throughout the Company’s various segments. Powertrain brand FPT Industrial demonstrated its approach to developing natural gas engines that provide high performance with low emissions. Commercial vehicles brand Iveco presented its full commercial vehicle product lineup (from light- to medium- and heavy-duty) which can operate with natural gas engines. Agricultural machinery brand New Holland Agriculture shared its research into biogas technologies, where it is currently testing its T6.140 Methane Power tractor prototype. This prototype represents a key step towards the Energy Independent Farm concept that centers on the ability of farms to produce energy from natural sources, in this case biomass, that in turn will power the machines and the farm itself.
