Road to net-zero: decarbonization projects on an Iveco Group’s plant

The fight against climate change is one of the most challenging missions of our time. Climate change is a global phenomenon and the way in which energy is used has a strong impact on the environment. For this scope, all industries must address energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, especially in terms of CO2. This thesis, in collaboration with Iveco Group, aims to assist in identifying energy efficiency projects in the industrial sector, in order to reduce energy consumption and determine a reduction in CO2 emissions. The first step is to become aware of the current situation to develop the optimal strategy. To this end, a detailed analysis of energy consumption and CO2 emissions was carried out at an Iveco Group’s plant. The energy used was divided between the different carriers used in the plants, including natural gas, electricity and a limited amount of diesel. In order to assess the performance of the various plants and different types of finished products, key performance indicators (KPIs), standardized on the basis of total manufacturing hours, were developed. To reduce CO2 emissions it was decided to combine the electrification of the heating system, with invertible heat pumps, and the generation of electricity from renewable sources on site, via a photovoltaic system installed on the roof of the plant. Various scenarios about the PV system size have been developed, ranging from the pure self-consumption up to the use of storage systems to optimize the management of the energy produced. The analysis was carried out from both an energy and economic point of view to identify the most convenient solution. Considering the current costs of storage technologies, the result indicate that a system designed only for self-consumption is the most convenient option. In the future, the current situation could evolve also thanks to the use of the so-called "second-life batteries", recycled batteries from electric vehicles such as trucks and buses.