Edison And Italian Michelin have signed a multi-year agreement for energy efficiency, environmental sustainability and the reduction of the carbon footprint of the Michelin plant in Cuneo, thanks to the construction of plants for the production of energy with low environmental impact and energy from renewable sources. The Cuneo plant is Michelin’s largest production site in Western Europe, with an installed production capacity of 13 million car tires per year.
“We are very pleased to announce this collaboration with Michelin Italiana which has chosen Edison as a partner for the sustainability of its production in Italy – declares Giovanni Brianza, Edison’s Executive Vice President of Energy and Environmental Services -. It is a concrete example of how we accompany our partners in a path of optimization of energy consumption totally “tailor-made” according to their specific needs. A complex project that was made possible thanks to the teamwork and skills that Edison made available to Michelin to jointly achieve important objectives of efficiency and environmental sustainability. “
“This agreement represents an important advance towards our ambitious sustainability goals. Due to its size and strategic importance within the Michelin Group, the Cuneo plant pursues environmental sustainability on a daily basis also through agreements with top-level partners such as the one signed today. ” He has declared Simone Miatton, CEO of Michelin Italiana.
The initiative, which will cover the 97% of the energy needs of the Cuneo plant, foresees the construction and installation by Edison of a new high efficiency trigeneration plant capable of simultaneously producing electricity, steam and water for heating and cooling. They will also be realized photovoltaic systems that will come installed on parking canopies and other available areas, as well an integrated system consisting of boilers for the supply of the steam necessary for the production of tires, which also includesuse of woody biomass with a short supply chain. Through the integration of these solutions and systems, from 2023 the Cuneo plant will have 16% of the energy coming from renewable sources available, corresponding to a reduction in CO2 emissions of 18,000 tons per year. This percentage will be able to reach 100% thanks to the flexibility of the plants and the progressive use of alternative fuels and renewable sources.
The agreement will also make it possible, thanks to Edison’s specific skills, to progressively achieve challenging objectives over time for the plant’s energy efficiency, with further benefits in terms of both environmental impact and energy expenditure. The plant is designed to be able to implement further highly innovative and flexible solutions that involve the use of biomethane and hydrogen as green fuels. Edison will also supply the Cuneo plant, through the national transmission grid, with electricity produced and certified from renewable sources to supplement on-site self-production. The contract, which has a duration of 15 years, represents a roadmap for the progressive containment of CO2 emissions, in line with Michelin’s policy of reducing emissions by 50% by 2030 compared to 2010 and Zero emissions by 2050.