Fueling heavy-duty trucks without increasing atmospheric CO2 levels and even reducing them is not science fiction: it’s a real and achievable solution. That’s the case with the biomethane produced by Cooperativa Speranza, our partner in the project aimed at cutting emissions from our fleet. The bioLNG coming from their facility in the Turin area is certified carbon negative: by using it, we reduce our environmental impact compared to fossil-based fuels and we actually help decrease the overall amount of CO2 in the atmosphere.
The carbon negative certification takes into account the entire lifecycle of the fuel, from sourcing and production to its end use. Reaching such a goal isn’t easy: producing consistently carbon negative bioLNG requires carefully selected biomass inputs and meticulous control over every step of the production chain.
The bioLNG supplied to Maganetti by the cooperative - through a project developed with the technical support of CIB - is made from cattle liquid manure, enriched with plant scraps and a small proportion of shredded maize. When calculating the emissions, the CO2 absorbed by the biomass during its growth cycle is factored in, along with the methane and carbon dioxide emissions that are avoided by processing manure through anaerobic digestion, instead of using traditional disposal methods that usually release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
The cooperative’s plant processes all the waste from its members’ farms as well as from several nearby businesses, totaling waste from over 4,000 head of cattle.
There’s more: during the production of raw biogas and in the refining stage that turns it into liquid biomethane, CO2 is captured and stored, preventing it from being released into the atmosphere, another key factor in the fuel’s overall emissions footprint.
