Solar Utility SpA signed an agreement with Norwegian state-owned energy company Statkraft As to develop and transfer eight solar power projects totaling almost 20 MW in the Italian region of Puglia. This first transaction signals an ambition to develop a powerhouse in renewable energy in Italy between the parties.

The agreement was signed today at the 24th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference in Hamburg. The first phase is a joint development of photovoltaic plants in Italy where Statkraft, will initially acquire approximately 20 megawatts of solar power projects with license from Solar Utility. Work on establishing an EPC contract for the construction of the solar plants will start immediately.

The agreement allows Statkraft to grow faster in the Italian market, where a combination of high solar radiation levels and strong market outlook make Italy a top solar market for renewable players. For Solar Utility, the agreement represents an opportunity to strengthen its business as a co-developer of projects in cooperation with a solid industrial partner.

Thanks to the cooperation, the partners will also be able to take advantage of synergies between Solar Utility and Statkraft.

Solar Utility is a 50/50 joint venture between Pirelli Ambiente and Global Cleantech Capital which invests in photovoltaic plants destined to owners of public, commercial and industrial buildings, supplying them in exchange with “green” energy at competitive prices. In addition, Solar Utility can assign photovoltaic plants to investors interested in stable returns in the long run, as guaranteed by the Italian incentive scheme “Conto Energia” of 19 February 2007.

Statkraft is Europe’s largest renewable energy company. The Group develops and generates hydropower, wind power, gas power and district heating, and is a major player on the European power exchanges. Statkraft also develops marine energy, osmotic power solar power, and other innovative energy solutions. In 2008 Statkraft posted gross operating revenues of EUR 3.1 billion. The group employs 3,200 staff in more than 20 countries.

This solution will allow reduction of more than 90% of particulate emissions for 150 inter-city buses circulating in the provinces of Bergamo, Lecco, Brescia and Cremona

Pirelli Eco Technology, a company in the Pirelli Group active in technology for lowering pollutant emissions from diesel engines, signed an agreement for the supply of about 150 particulate filters to some Lombardy-based companies in the Arriva Italia Group, a leading operator in passenger transportation present in Lombardy, Piedmont and Friuli Venezia. The aim of the initiative is to reduce by more than 90% the particulate emissions from about 150 inter-city buses.

Thanks to installation of the Pirelli filter apparatus, the Arriva Italia Group will reduce by about 12,000 kg annually the particulate matter emitted into the atmosphere by the buses in its fleet in circulation. Thanks to this agreement, the buses of the Arriva Italia Group on which the filter systems are installed, will significantly improve their emissions classes, which will be able to change from Euro 0 or Euro 1 to Euro 3 or Euro 4/5, according to the age and type of engine.
This solution has been realized in accordance with the currently applicable regional norms for prevention and protection of health and environment, which exempt vehicles with particulate filters from possible limits on traffic circulation. The Transportation Ministry, in its Decree published on 13 March 2008, recognized the benefits of this technology, admitting its registration on circulation documents. This allows for modification of the “Euro” class of the bus or heavy vehicle, updating particulate emissions to more recent classes.

Arriva p.l.c., which is present in Europe in 10 nations and counts more than 15,000 vehicles, is highly committed to environmental protection and involved in various initiatives for containment of fuel and energy consumption and experimentation with alternative and ecological energy sources.
Cesare Salerno, Managing Director of the Arriva Italia Group, said “fitting with particulate filters is an optimal solution which allows for containment of gas emissions even of older vehicles, making them absolutely comparable, from this point of view, with newer vehicles. With this initiative Arriva confirms its commitment to environmental protection, and hopes this commitment can be shared by everyone through greater use of public transportation.”
“The choice of the Arriva Italia Group – said Bruno Tronchetti Provera, Managing Director of Pirelli Eco Technology – demonstrates the usefulness of the technology developed by Pirelli in support of the commitment by public transportation companies to combat particulate matter emissions. With the simple substitution of the muffler and installation of our filter system, available in 40 different solutions for buses, transportation companies can comply with EU norms in terms of polluting emissions.”

Pirelli Eco Technology
Pirelli Eco Technology is the company in the Pirelli Group active in solutions for sustainable mobility and reduction of emissions of diesel engines with the production of Gecam, the white diesel, and Feelpure particulate filters. Filter systems for buses and heavy vehicles already in circulation (retrofit) are manufactured in the factory in Arese in the province of Milan. Starting from mid 2008, the new factory in Romania for production of original equipment filters will also be operative.
Arriva p.l.c.
In Italy currently Arriva is the leading privately held public transportation operator, present in Northern Italy with SAB of Bergamo, SIA and SAIA of Brescia, SAL of Lecco, KM of Cremona, ASF of Como, SAF of Udine, TT of Trieste, SADEM of Grugliasco (TO) and SAPAV of Pinerolo (TO) for a total of about 2,500 buses.

A.PI.C.E.: JOINT VENTURE BETWEEN ACEA AND PIRELLI AMBIENTE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF RENEWABLE ENERGY FROM WASTE

A.PI.C.E., USING PIRELLI AMBIENTE PATENTS, WILL BUILD AND MANAGE PLANTS FOR MANUFACTURING OF CDR-Q (HIGH QUALITY SOLID RECOVERED FUEL FROM URBAN WASTE)

CDR-Q IS USED AS A PARTIAL SUBSTITUTE FOR COAL IN THERMOELECTRIC POWER STATIONS AND CEMENT KILNS, WITH ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS FOR THE COMMUNITY

PIRELLI AMBIENTE’S PATENTS FOR PRODUCTION OF CDR-Q HAVE BEEN UTILISED SUCCESSFULLY SINCE 2003 IN THE ROBILANTE (BUZZI) CEMENT FACTORY AT THE SERVICE OF 54 TOWNS

Acea and Pirelli Ambiente communicate that their 50/50 joint venture A.PI.C.E. will operate in the sector of renewable energy from waste, bringing together the skills and strong territorial presence of Acea with the experience and technology of Pirelli Ambiente to realize projects for manufacturing of CDR-Q (High Quality Solid Recovered Fuel From Urban Waste), to be used in thermoelectric power stations and cement kilns.

The business model of A.PI.C.E. includes construction and management of plants for manufacturing of CDR-Q.

The CDR-Q patented by Pirelli Ambiente is a quality fuel derived from urban solid waste with the addition of components of high calorific value, and is able to partially substitute fossil fuels in pre-existing plants (thermoelectric power stations and cement kilns), with significant economic and environmental advantages. The use of CDR-Q, in particular, allows for reducing the difficulties of waste disposal and, utilising non-dedicated plants, can contribute substantially to rapidly resolving the problem of waste disposal. For its biomass content, CDR-Q is a renewable energy source whose use contributes to reaching EU objectives for electricity production from renewable sources as well as for CO2 reduction.

CDR-Q has already been used successfully, since 2003, in the Robilante (Buzzi) cement plant at the service of 54 municipalities in the Province of Cuneo.

A recent study by Nomisma Energia (January 2008) estimated that the potential economic and environmental benefits that can be obtained from the use of CDR-Q in Italy in thermoelectric and cement plants, assuming a widely generalized use, are:

- Reduction by circa 6.5 million tons of urban solid waste per year;
- CO2 emissions reduction of 7 million tons per year;
- 2.7 terawatt/hour (TWh) increase in electricity production from renewable sources per year, equal to the consumption of one million families;
- Energy savings of 1.85 million tons oil equivalent (Mtep) per year, versus an overall Italian national objective of 2.9 million tons oil equivalent (Mtep) per year.

Acea, the Rome-based electricity, gas and water utility, is a leading Company in Italy for water and energy supply project management, infrastructure operating and retail management. Thanks to an integration process between different services and new technology development, ACEA is today a European-standard multiservice company, close to citizens’ needs.

Pirelli Ambiente provides solutions for the environment and for sustainable development. It is a unit of the Pirelli Group, which also operates in the tyre, real estate, and broadband sectors in over 160 countries worldwide, focusing on products and processes that are increasingly eco-compatible and on innovative solutions.