(Finance) – Also this year, on the occasion of the International Day of Energy Saving and Sustainable Lifestylesthe group Motorways for Italy joins the initiative “I light up less“, promoted by the Caterpillar radio program, to raise awareness on the topic of energy saving and more sustainable lifestyles.
The Company is continuing on the path ofenergy efficiency with the implementation of a project extended to 450 tunnels of the network, which includes over 32 thousand lighting fixtures with LED technology and a system capable of regulating the light intensity of the individual fixture, depending on the atmospheric conditions outside the tunnel. Once completed, the investment will allow energy savings of approximately 10 GWh/year. Another 13,500 LED light points will replace traditional sodium lamps at motorway junctions. Thanks to an investment of over 8 million euros, Aspi expects to complete this new phase by 2024. This innovation will make it possible to produce energy savings of approximately 2 GWh/year, reducing Co2 emissions by over 520 tons per year . A reduction in electricity consumption for junction lighting is thus estimated at an average of 25%.
Among others projects foreseen in the Autostrade per l’Italia plan useful for reducing emissions and consumption are included: the “diesel free”, which involves the gradual replacement of diesel boilers with new systems powered mainly by heat pumps or with low environmental impact energy carriers, such as methane, biomethane or LPG; the transition of the company fleet to mobility electric, through the progressive replacement of the car fleet (light vehicles) with electric and hybrid cars and a simultaneous installation of charging stations, at the General Directorates, the Section Directorates and the maintenance stations; the research activity “KEHV”, Kinetic energy harvesting from vehicles, which aims to develop a technology capable of transforming the kinetic energy triggered by the passage of decelerating vehicle flows into electricity, which would otherwise be dissipated in heat and brakes.
The energy efficiency plan is part of the “Mercury”, which aims to enhance existing infrastructures, placing them at a cutting-edge technological and functional level, so as to offer a safe and comfortable journey to its users.
Today Autostrade per Italia symbolically stops its vehicles for 12 consecutive hours elevators (from 8am to 8pm, excluding a line used for disabled people) and deactivates the insignia bright of the general management of Rome, also inviting all colleagues to turn off unnecessary lights.