Lazio as a technological hub for the Autostrade per l’Italia network: from the state-of-the-art research laboratory in Fiano Romano, to the stations powered by photovoltaic panels and state-of-the-art LED lights in the tunnels; from paving highways with recycled materials, to state-of-the-art vehicles for monitoring infrastructure. These are just some of the innovations created by Aspi related to sustainable mobility. All interventions carried out with the aim of contributing to the real ecological transition of the territory and ensuring greater safety for users.
«GREEN ENERGY» AT VALMONTONE STATION – Regarding innovation, on the A1 Milan-Naples, south of Rome, at the Valmontone junction, one of the world’s first photovoltaic systems mounted on motorway acoustic absorption barriers is being completed, with the aim of increasing noise mitigation, due to vehicle traffic on the road, production of renewable energy. The energy generated by the new plant will be able to satisfy the needs of the Valmontone toll thanks to the production of around 80MWh per year, equal to the corresponding consumption of more than 20 families and a CO2 reduction of around 600 tons during its useful life. of the plant. From an acoustic point of view, the plan is part of the broader program of renewing sound absorbing barriers in the Aspi network. The photovoltaic system was built by Autostrade per l’Italia in collaboration with Elgea, a Group company involved in the development of innovative technological solutions for the production of energy from renewable sources.
THE FIANO ROMANO LABORATORY – Center of excellence and important research base for the characterization and qualification of materials to be used in highway paving, also thanks to the use of a set of state-of-the-art equipment. The laboratory, where the drainage asphalt that today covers almost the entire road network was tested for the first time in the late 1980s, is a scientific, technical and national support center for construction and maintenance activities of road infrastructures. At the Center, the Autostrade per l’Italia team, in collaboration with prestigious university entities, carries out tests and analyzes of the materials used, carries out network checks, studies new mixtures with innovative materials and carries out timely planning of monitoring activities.
ENERGY SUSTAINABILITY – The company continues on the path to energy efficiency with the implementation of a project extended to 450 tunnels in the network, which includes more than 32 thousand luminaires with LED technology and a system capable of regulating the light intensity of each luminaire, depending on the atmospheric conditions outside of the tunnel. Sustainability is also expressed in the complete electrification of the motorway network: in Lazio alone there are 12 charging stations for electric vehicles (Mascherone Ovest A1; Prenestina Ovest and Prenestina Est A1; La Macchia Ovest and La Macchia est A1; Casilina Ovest and Casilina Est A1 ; West Tyrrhenian Sea – East Tyrrhenian Sea A12 Rome Civitavecchia;
INNOVATION AND RESEARCH FOR THE ROAD NETWORK – Lazio is also a laboratory for the use of innovative materials. Laboratory research activities on recycling and regeneration of materials that have reached the end of their useful life from a sustainability perspective have allowed the application of an innovative technology in road assets, known as Warm mix asphalt, Wma with the use of high percentages of milled material . These are bituminous mixtures for wearing layers and base layers, containing high percentages of recycled aggregates from the demolition of highway pavements that have reached the end of their useful life. Another novelty, also developed in the laboratory, is the study of Grip mastic asphalt, a type of bituminous conglomerate formed by artificial aggregates coming from waste from steel mill processing. All innovative materials, made with recycled materials, to maximize performance, ensure greater safety and help make our network even more sustainable and high-performance. «We are carrying out numerous interventions to regenerate our infrastructures and make our network more efficient and modern to protect the safety of travelers. As a Group, we were among the first to install photovoltaic panels to make the Valmontone station completely autonomous, thus becoming a reference for sustainability. Furthermore, in this area we continue on the path of energy efficiency with the aim of making our network even safer”, explains Francesco Console, director of the Fiano Romano section of Autostrade per l’Italia.
Source: IL Tempo
Roy Brown is a renowned economist and author at The Nation View. He has a deep understanding of the global economy and its intricacies. He writes about a wide range of economic topics, including monetary policy, fiscal policy, international trade, and labor markets.
