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Case study: Sammontana & NewCold

 

Sammontana & NewCold

How Sammontana and NewCold are combining innovation, energy efficiency and resilience at Piacenza

 

 

 

Sustainability and innovation are most powerful when designed together from the outset. At NewCold’s Piacenza site in Fiorenzuola d’Arda, a long-term partnership with Sammontana S.p.A. demonstrates how advanced cold chain infrastructure can reduce environmental impact, strengthen resilience and support sustainable growth through an energy-efficient, future-ready cold storage operation.

A Commitment to Sustainable Cold Storage

The collaboration between NewCold and Sammontana S.p.A. goes beyond a traditional logistics partnership. From the outset, both organisations aligned on energy efficiency, reliability and carbon reduction. The Piacenza facility supports Sammontana’s international growth while meeting ambitious sustainability goals, combining operational excellence with measurable environmental benefits and turning sustainability into a competitive advantage.

Their sustainability strategy focuses on three key pillars:

1.
Energy efficiency
High-density design and automation significantly reduce energy consumption.
2.
Renewable energy
Solar generation and CHP reduce reliance on external energy supply.
3.
Resilience
Intelligent energy management strengthens security of supply and operational continuity.

 

 

What Makes the Piacenza Facility different

The Piacenza site is designed as a largely independent energy system, combining on site generation with intelligent control. Three core elements work together as a single ecosystem.

Energy Management Systems coordinate solar, CHP and grid supply in real time, optimises energy flows, manages peak demand, maximises self-consumption and enables microgrid functionality during grid disturbances. In addition to this:

2.7 MW
Solar generation: The 2.7 MW photovoltaic installation generates around 2.9 million kWh annually, supplying up to 100% of the site’s electricity requirement and cutting CO₂ emissions by more than 1,100 tonnes per year.
100%
Combined Heat and Power: The 1 MW CHP system generates electricity, hot water and cooling through a 550 kW absorption chiller, covering up to 100% of the site’s total energy requirement.
50-65%
Efficient design and automation: The 40-metre-high automated facility provides over 73,000 pallet positions, with NewCold facilities typically consuming 50–65% less energy than traditional cold storage warehouses.

A Value Chain Approach to Sustainability

The partnership between NewCold and Sammontana demonstrates how sustainability can be strengthened across the cold value chain by combining efficient infrastructure, renewable energy, advanced technology and intelligent energy management.

From the outset, both organisations aligned their objectives around energy efficiency, reliability and carbon reduction, integrating these priorities into the design of the Piacenza facility.

The facility integrates energy-efficient design, automation, advanced refrigeration and on-site energy generation to minimise its environmental footprint. Solar power and combined heat and power are intelligently managed through an integrated energy system, maximising self-consumption and strengthening resilience. High-density automated storage, efficient refrigeration, LED lighting and insulation further reduce energy demand, demonstrating how technology and infrastructure can deliver significant efficiency gains across the cold chain. 

Value chain cooperation between cold chain operators and their customers turns sustainability into measurable benefits while supporting efficient, resilient and future-ready cold chain operations, fit to support Sammontana’s growth and sustainability ambitions by providing scalable, energy-efficient infrastructure that can respond to increasing volumes without proportionally increasing environmental impact.

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