ABOUT THE PROJECT

The global challenge of energy transition demands not only widely shared solutions on a large scale, but also targeted actions in specialist sectors, which must be able both to deliver concrete results and to attract the interest of a broader public, through the high intrinsic value of the projects themselves. Both can be achieved by projects involving partners with a long-standing commitment to environmental accountability.

In 2021, the first prototype New Holland TK Methane Power crawler tractor was delivered to the Fontanafredda vineyards. Powered by the F28 Natural Gas engine running on biomethane, this is the first crawler tractor enabling CO2 net-zero vineyard operations ever used for the production of a Barolo cru, permitting an important step towards sustainable wine production and representing a ready-now solution for energy transition in agriculture.

Named “Engine of the Year 2020”, the F28 engine that powers the tractor operating on the Fontanafredda estate ensures a carbon footprint of zero, since it is fueled by biomethane, a renewable energy source produced by the anaerobic digestion of agricultural waste, representing the main enabler of the circular economy in agriculture. On this tractor, the F28 NG provides a power output of 75 hp with peak torque of 360 Nm, ensuring the same performance as diesel.

The partnership between FPT Industrial and Fontanafredda, a historic winery located in the Langhe Region (Piedmont, Italy), will result in an eco-friendlier wine cultivation. This is possible thanks to the TK Methane Power tractor, the cornerstone of the special collaboration of many players: FPT Industrial, New Holland, Fontanafredda, local Italian businesses active in the bio-methane supply chain and the Region of Piedmont, which funds “Tobias project”, a plan about the development of biomethane traction for a circular production chain in specialized agriculture.

While the Barolo wine harvested with the first carbon-neutral tractor is aging in Fontanafredda cellars and we wait to taste this unique wine, FPT Industrial natural gas engines for agriculture becoming the most feasible solution currently on the market to tackle the global challenges of climate change.