FPT Industrial and Fontanafredda join forces to complete the first zero-emissions harvest of Barolo wine

A partnership between FPT Industrial and Fontanafredda has created the first zero-emissions harvest of a Barolo cur wine.

FPT Industrial, the global powertrain brand of CNH Industrial N.V. has joined forces with Fontanafredda, the historic winery founded by Vittorio Emanuele I, the first King of Italy, in 1858.

Fontanafredda produces Barolo and other great wines from the Langhe region, which currently has 120 hectares of certified organic vineyards and promotes a new green renaissance in the form of best-practice grape cultivation with no environmental impact.

The heart of the partnership is the supply of two New Holland TK Methane Power crawler vineyard tractors with biomethane-fueled FPT Industrial F28 Natural Gas engines, which will work in the Vigna La Rosa cru that produces the grapes for the legendary Barolo of the same name.

Recently awarded the title of “Engine of the year 2020” for its modular, multi-propulsion approach, the FPT Industrial F28 engine is designed to be compact, productive and environment-friendly.FPT Industrial claim the tractor ticks all the boxes in terms of power, performance and low environmental impact for specialized applications such as orchard and vineyard tractors where compactness and small overall dimensions are an essential requirement. The F28 is able to operate on diesel or natural gas and is hybrid-ready.

The biomethane model designed for Fontanafredda was developed on a New Holland Agriculture crawler vineyard tractor. It can provide a power output of 75 hp with peak torque of 330 Nm and therefore ensures, in complete safety, performance which is identical to that of its diesel equivalent, even when working on the steepest slopes and on the slippery terrain typical of the finest vineyards in Italy’s Langhe wine-growing region. This is all with a zero-carbon footprint, as the biomethane that powers the engine is not a fossil fuel, but is produced from the anaerobic digestion of agricultural waste.

The three-year partnership between FPT Industrial and Fontanafredda, supported by the Region of Piedmont’s Tobias Project, with contributions from New Holland Agriculture, CNH Industrial and local businesses, proves once again that complex projects of this kind can provide a virtuous example of networking for a common objective.

“After being the ‘heart’ of the vehicles named Sustainable Tractor of the Year and Sustainable Truck of the Year”, FPT Industrial CEO Annalisa Stupenengo declares, “getting to grips with the needs of the prestigious, delicate, sustainable top-quality wine-growing sector is a very exciting challenge for us. In fact, the partnership with Fontanafredda will enable us to again demonstrate our full support for the European Union as it guides the green transition. Our biomethane engines are as efficient and high-performing as diesels, and this renewable, sustainable fuel is the real, immediately available alternative for eliminating emissions from agricultural vehicles.”