Sustainability, Barilla-Nicolosi Trasporti-Vulcan: together for food logistics

With around 5,000 trips per year, Nicolosi contributes significantly to the reduction of climate-altering emissions, making Barilla's green commitment tangible.

Environmental sustainability and innovation in logistics: these are the cornerstones of the partnership between Barilla, Nicolosi Trasporti and Vulcan , which have been working together for years to reduce the environmental impact of the food supply chain. Since 2020, road shipments to Sicily and part of Northern Italy signed by Barilla have been entrusted to Nicolosi Trasporti, a Sicilian company, now a Benefit Company, which has chosen to invest in a fleet entirely powered by LNG and Bio-LNG, the latter obtained from agricultural waste.

With approximately 5,000 trips per year, Nicolosi contributes significantly to the reduction of climate-altering emissions, making Barilla's green commitment tangible. Vulcan, a historic Italian operator with over 50 years of experience in the distribution of liquefied natural gas and a pioneer in the creation of a certified Bio-LNG supply chain, also plays a key role. It is thanks to its infrastructure - including numerous filling stations in Italy and Europe - and the Vulcancard traceability system, that Barilla can count on transparent data and official certifications.

The system allows the company to register the Guarantee of Origin certificates issued by GSE, precisely documenting the reduction of the carbon footprint of transport. Vulcan's path towards sustainability has been marked by important milestones, such as the first distribution of Bio-LNG in Italy in 2020, transported directly from a biorefinery. Today Vulcancard is accepted in over 150 stations in Italy and 150 European stations.

For its part, Nicolosi Trasporti integrates its environmental commitment with a logistics model that includes the production of renewable energy. The depots, including the one in Catania, are powered by photovoltaic systems, while the first private LNG plant in Sicily, owned by the company, represents a further step in the ecological transition of the sector.

Over the past two years, the use of hundreds of tons of Bio-Lng by Nicolosi - also thanks to the collaboration with the Società Italiana Gas Liquidi Spa Vulcan - has allowed it to obtain important recognitions, such as the Guarantees of Origin, which certify the use of renewable sources and the related energy recovery in terms of MWh.

Current challenges and future prospects of sustainable transport were the focus of the event on June 4th entitled: 'Transport: challenges and changes in progress', organized by Barilla, Nicolosi Trasporti and Vulcan. After a convivial moment at the bio-Lng service station managed by Tanzi Aurelio Petroli, the event continued at the Academia Barilla in Parma, where a round table focused on the opportunities and critical issues of sustainable transport took place.