€20 million of investments are already planned. In 5 years, the energy self-production of the leading group in cured meats and aged cheeses will increase from 27 to 50% of needs. Carbon neutrality in the crosshairs
Carbon neutrality and the efficiency of production processes are today two of the main drivers of industrial development, and it is in this logic that GranTerre, one of the main players in food made in Italy and leader in the production of cured meats and aged cheeses, and the Hera Group, one of Italy's largest multi-utilities, have signed a framework agreement for decarbonisation aimed at putting at the service of the food group the expertise that the multi-utility has gained over the years in the field of innovative and integrated solutions for energy efficiency, energy production (including renewable sources) and water cycle management.
GranTerre, in particular, is part of the energy-intensive companies sector and its activity is characterized by complex production processes for which it is possible to identify technological solutions that can provide important help in reducing the carbon footprint. The Hera Group, on the other hand, also through its ESCo Hera Servizi Energia (HSE), has the know-how and structures necessary not only to identify possible efficiency opportunities, but also to carry out the design and implementation of the technological solutions necessary to achieve these efficiencies.
With this agreement, GranTerre, owner of brands such as Teneroni, Parmareggio, Senfter and many others with 18 production sites in Italy and one of the most advanced logistics bases, aims to give a further strong acceleration to its sustainability path and build a large number of plants capable of improving energy efficiency and the resilience of production processes. To study, design and implement them in the best possible way, Hera Servizi Energia will combine its expertise with those of CPL CONCORDIA, another major industrial player in the area, specialising in the design, construction, management and maintenance of energy systems, thus forming an innovative alliance for the sustainability of the territory.
The agreement, with the potential for efficiency improvements and which is expected to involve investments of around €20 million over the next five years, was finalised this morning in the presence of the Hera Group's Chief Executive Officer Orazio Iacono, the Chief Executive Officer of GranTerre Giuliano Carletti and the President of CPL CONCORDIA Paolo Barbieri.
Efficiency and decarbonization: what are the economic and environmental benefits?
By virtue of the agreement signed, the Hera Group, GranTerre and CPL CONCORDIA will be able to explore many directions in order to make the food group's production processes increasingly sustainable: the construction of photovoltaic plants without land consumption, cogeneration and trigeneration plants and, more generally, the wide range of technologies capable of rationalising consumption and ensuring an increase in energy efficiency in the industrial context. These are all useful solutions for the decarbonisation of energy consumption at the GranTerre Group's Italian production sites, which are accompanied by the Hera Group's study of more cutting-edge design hypotheses, such as the production and use of biomethane, biogas and green hydrogen.
The pursuit of carbon neutrality for energy-intensive companies such as those in the meat processing and dairy sectors, in fact, is a complex activity that requires the deployment of various tools to start a progressive path of decarbonization and energy efficiency with a broad vision: a path that, in addition to taking into account the available technologies, It starts from a careful analysis of the existing structure, so as to be able to focus investments on the production phases that, for the same costs incurred, offer the best returns in terms of sustainability.
While it is true that making companies with high energy absorption more efficient is an articulated process, it is equally true that, precisely because of the high levels of consumption that characterize these industrial realities, every single improvement leads to a significantly lower impact on the environment. In the case of GranTerre, taking into consideration all the production sites in 5 Italian regions, it is already possible to estimate an increase in energy self-production, which within 5 years will go from the current 27% to 50% of the expected energy needs.
And it is precisely for this reason that the first practical transfer of the agreement signed today will consist of a series of feasibility studies by the Hera Group, supported by the expertise of CPL CONCORDIA, which will take into account the balance of GranTerre's energy needs (electrical, thermal and refrigeration), but also of the self-production technologies installed, of a careful environmental balance in terms of CO2 emissions for each of the solutions identified and, Last but not least, a technical and economic analysis of each proposal.
"The agreement signed is fully part of our sustainable development policies and will certainly bring important benefits, both from an economic and environmental point of view," explained the CEO of GranTerre Spa, Giuliano Carletti . But it is not just today that we have been working to improve management systems, adopting processes, technologies and practices useful for reducing energy and water consumption, as well as pollution. In 2021 alone, we were able to reduce energy consumption by 17.5% and there are several further efficiency projects already underway. Now we want to do even more and better. Our intent is to combine business growth and financial solidity with environmental sustainability."
"Climate change requires our company, and more generally the economic system, to accelerate decarbonisation initiatives and to stimulate the circular economy in support of the ecological transition," says Orazio Iacono, CEO of the Hera Group. Climate change is the main challenge we will have to face in the coming years and to overcome it it is essential to work at the ecosystem level, pooling the many resources and skills that the territory can express. This is the context of the agreement we signed today with GranTerre, which will allow this important industrial player to access innovative solutions to reduce its carbon footprint, while at the same time having full guarantees of economic and social sustainability".
"When cooperation is accompanied by collaboration, only challenging projects can arise aimed at improving the competitiveness of companies and the well-being of the territory in which they are rooted. This is the spirit that has guided us for 124 years," says Paolo Barbieri, President of CPL CONCORDIA, "in our daily choices. We are proud to be able to work alongside two prestigious local companies such as the GranTerre Group and the Hera Group, making available to them all our interdisciplinary skills in the fields of energy efficiency, the construction of high-tech plants and their subsequent management and maintenance. Teaming up by pooling the skills of individuals always returns, as the projects we will create in the coming years will demonstrate once again, a result that is greater than the sum of the individual contributions".
