CPL CONCORDIA CNEWS NUMBER 44

CPL CONCORDIA Group newsletter

44

Postal subscription with special rates for periodicals issued more than twice a year and no more than 70% advertising content. Business Sales Management Department. Modena

n.

Year XII - n.1 March 2014

AND THEN WE EMERGED TO SEE RAVENNA AGAIN

A €5 million project to upgrade public lighting in the city of Ravenna has been given the go-ahead. The city, which is world-famous for its mosaics, its Byzantine churches, and Dante’s grave, will be equipped with new LED lamps designed to improve energy efficiency and safety, while reducing light pollution and emissions.

PERFORMANCE AT PISA’S GALILEI AIRPORT SOARS WITH TRIGENERATION SYSTEM The new system, which will cover 70% of the electricity needs, is set to bring in yearly savings totalling over 20% of energy consumption costs.

CHAIRMAN OF SACE IN CONCORDIA TO MEET UP WITH COMPANIES WITH SIGHTS SET ON FOREIGN HORIZONS Ambassador Giovanni Castellaneta appears as key note speaker at the conference titled “Incontro all’Impresa” to discusses solutions offered by SACE to support business owners with export strategies.

breaking news

€40 million in funding over five years to support investments planned from 2013 to 2015

Two lines of credit are involved, including a syndicated loan administered by arranger ICRREA Banca Impresa S.p.A. bank and a bilateral line granted by UBI S.p.A., with EIB funding.

At the time of printing, CPL Concordia

factoring lines, which represents another

is the process of sealing two loans that

source of funds to back the 2013-2015

will provide the cooperative with a total

business plan. Since December 2013,

of over €40 million, over a five-year

a number of companies have offered

term, which is earmarked to partly cover

CPL Concordia funding facilities, with

the financial needs generated by the

ceilings amounting, overall, to over €30

investments envisaged in the 2013-2015

million.

business plan.

Both sources were found with the help

The first line of credit is a syndicated

of advisory firm Mazars S.p.A. A more in-

loan administered by arranger ICRREA

depth look at the activities touched on

Banca Impresa S.p.A. bank, while the

here will be provided in the next issue.

second is a bilateral line granted by UBI S.p.A., using funds from the EIB. The

Pierluigi Capelli

two agreements will be signed in early

Chief Financial Officer

April. We are also nearing the end of the process for obtaining non-recourse

CPL CONCORDIA is associated with

Editor-in-chief FRANCESCO MANICARDI

The quarterly newsletter brought to you by CPL CONCORDIA Group Year XII - n. 1 March 2014 Registered with the Court of Modena on 26.05.2003 under n. 1673

Editors GABRIELE BATTISTI SAURO CORSI MARCO DAL DOSSO MARIO GUARNIERI EMANUELE MALAVASI E-mail: redazione@cpl.it Design and Layout Gabriele Greco - Communications CPL CONCORDIA Marco Maini - KINA SNC Printed by TIPOLITO SALVIOLI - www.salvioli.it

CNews online - http://en.cpl.it/cnews

Get free access to C-News contents from the CPL CONCORDIA website by downloading the QR Code Reader!

Partner

Have contributed to this issue: FABIO BALBONI PAOLO BARBIERI GIUSEPPE BELLAGAMBA LUIGI BISASCHI DAVIDE BONFIETTI PIERLUIGI CAPELLI MASSIMO CONTINATI ANDREA GAMBUZZI CLAUDIO GARDOSI ANDREA MANTOVANI MAURO PASCUTTI RAFFAELE RAMMARO GIOVANNI ROCCATO GIUSEPPE SELLITTO NICOLA VERRINI

Published by CPL CONCORDIA Soc. Coop.

Via A. Grandi, 39 41033 Concordia s/Secchia (MO) Tel. 0535.616.111- Fax 0535.616.300 Indirizzo internet: www.cpl.it Mail: info@cpl.it

LEADING ARTICLE

The power of sustainable development The ”need” to grow felt by all business leads to careful consideration of a number of factors, including the way in which the various markets are approached, the right balance of investments and portfolio returns, and a good ratio between young human resources and experienced staff members, to guide newcomers through the company’s processes.

Severo Barotto, who has been Deputy Chairman of the cooperative for 24 years now, is a prime example of this kind of dedication to the company.

Barotto, deputy chairman of CPL Concordia for 24 years and recently deceased. This thought provides a starting point for the discussion of significant concepts such as growth, labour and employment, and the role of finance, innovation, expertise, and sustainability. The size CPL CONCORDIA has reached in the domestic market means development is essential, since once-profitable areas of business are increasingly at risk and competition cannot be overcome by pricing alone. The remedy is to promote development by expanding the company’s presence in international spheres and focusing on the innovation of products and services. Such growth, however, must be virtuous and must create real value for all the stakeholders. To be sustainable, the cooperative must be able to create lasting prosperity, not only for itself and its members, but also for its employees and for local communities.

To achieve this goal, we must endeavour to establish a balance between the investments and the returns from our portfolio of ventures, in the awareness that the world of finance (which must return to its original role at the service of businesses and enterprise) should not be viewed as an unlimited source of backing. Today, more than ever, we need to understand that specific financial statement ratios need to be respected (at all levels) in order to continue to enjoy good ratings.

Focus has to be shifted onto certain geographical areas, with activities practiced in Italy developed overseas, through the implementation of an organisational model that will allow us to tackle the inevitable diversities of foreign markets. As well as differences in approaches, methods, products/services, and

Mario Guarnieri (aged 46) - mguarnieri@cpl.it Deputy Chairman, CPL CONCORDIA

”My dream for CPL would be for the cooperative to continue to thrive, growing in size and scope, and restoring the value of ‘work’ in its original essence. This global crisis will be the decisive factor in ensuring that ”real work”, i.e. production as opposed to finance, is once more deemed the value that counts most. A cooperative based on the principles of production and employment only makes sense if it is actually in a position to work and can demonstrate that working well brings growth and a reasonable level of profits”.

These words – taken from the book “Per chi verrà dopo di me [For those who come after me]”, published by Rubbettino to mark the cooperative’s 110 years in business – apply to a number of important issues and were uttered by Severo

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CNews n. 44 - March 2014

corporate styles, we will need to be able to cope with the cultural diversities of the people we will encounter on the way.

It is essential to devise a plan for sustainable worth, which offers an optimal combination of performance, costs, and pricing system. Designing and implementing business processes to improve market coverage, withstand commercial pressure and make full use of available resources is fundamental and can be achieved by establishing geographical areas managed by experienced people with appropriate technical and commercial skills and a good mastery of foreign languages. Their role will be to research the markets and work to develop them within a given timeframe.

In a time when youth unemployment is hitting dramatic levels, CPL Concordia has continued to hire school-leavers and recent graduates and plans to maintain this approach in 2014. Young, motivated staff bring with them imagination, creativity, and a desire to make their ideas, plans, and dreams come true, in a way that will improve both their futures and that of the company they join. It is the present management’s responsibility to find these talents, and - rather than hiding new staff members away - give them the opportunity to grow, offering guidance built on their own experience but also allowing them to make mistakes.

Only in this way, can we create the right conditions for the growth and continuity of our business.

Drawing to a close, I would like to reiterate the feeling of profound emptiness that the death of our former deputy chairman, Mr Barotto, has left within our cooperative. To the very end, despite the pain and difficulties of an illness faced with great dignity, Mr Barotto continued to attend our meetings.

His presence, intended to demonstrate his closeness to the cooperative and his participation (a notion all too often lacking among young people today), was a tribute to the company which owes its growth not least to his commitment. Old-timers

at the cooperative remember his long days at the office, the Saturdays and Sundays spent solving problems and making decisions, engaged in discussions, or simply chatting with the people around him. An unassuming man, Severo Barotto could switch from discussions with top-level management to conversations with newly hired employees with ease and affording everyone the same respect. His talents included the ability and passion he put into teamwork and problem-sharing, alongside the speed and accountability of his decision-making.

His intention had always been to keep the cooperative (and therefore all its members) united and closely knit, because he knew that it was the only way the enterprise would be able to weather the market’s storms and the emergencies that would inevitably arise during so many years in business. Even in the most difficult times, he always pulled it off, with integrity and determination, and often at his own expense.

I like to remember his ability to convey complex arguments in straightforward terms, and his willingness to give advice to anyone who approached him with their concerns. His door was always open and he had a practicality in his methods that was admirable. He was always the first to roll up his sleeves, putting his reputation on the line, and his head and heart into his work.

I want to thank him for all the times we had together, the days spent in his office, the memory of the times when – borne down by the difficulties of my job – his fatherly instincts shone through as he encouraged me. Eschewing small talk, he would attempt, sometimes with severity, but always well-meaningly, to show me the way that I was unable to see.

CNews n. 44 March 2014

In this issue

BUSINESS AREA 06

Bedecked with LED lights, Ravenna makes savings

09

From the seafront to the town centre - we renew Ravenna

10

Performance at Pisa airport “soars” with trigeneration

12

Top-notch energy for millions of travellers

13

Synfon makes its entry in Sicily

14

Clean energy in egg products industry

16

Green contract for Rome ATER, public housing department

18

Cooperation with a small environmental footprint

20

Total plant control

23

DIGAS, the new CPL-designed and built software for gas distribution

24

Redengas facilitates access to gas for indigent families

MARKETING 25

CPL CONCORDIA scores telephony hat-trick

26

Assicoop presents Coopgas to its 100,000 members

BUSINESS NEWS 28

SACE in Concordia to support the Modenabased exporters

30

The range of offerings available from SACE

31

CPL CONCORDIA opens gas companies to investment funds

32

CPL Group joins management of Tea Acque Mantova

CSR 34

5

When nature’s fury is faced with Lego

Bedecked with LED lights, Ravenna makes savings A â‚Ź5 million project to upgrade public lighting in the city of Ravenna has been launched. 8500 new lighting devices will improve efficiency and safety, while reducing light pollution and CO2 emissions. The local authority will also have the option to reinvest the 20% savings that will be achieved over coming years.

The city of Ravenna will be fitted out with new LED lights for street lighting, traffic lights, and traffic control devices.

The press conference to present the new equipment, chaired by Councillor for Public Works Andrea Corsini (first right) Work begins to replace obsolete streetlights in the seafront area.

Giuseppe Bellagamba (aged 33) Project Technician

Raffaele Rammaro (aged 36) Electrical engineer

gbellagamba@cpl.it

rrammaro@cpl.it

S

afer, more effective public lighting for the city of Ravenna.

Work has begun on a three-year renewal project which will involve the upgrading and conversion to LED of over 8500 lamps spread throughout the city’s road system. As well as ensuring better lighting quality, the work planned will also concern system safety and regulatory compliance. The upshot of the project is the energy conservation it allows and the reduction in light pollution, which brings the system in line with the regional legislation. Ravenna City Council has commissioned CPL CONCORDIA (which is heading a temporary consortium, along with Consorzio Ciro Menotti and Gemmo S.p.a.) to carry out a project worth a total of €5 million, consisting of two categories of work, each worth the same amount, namely energy upgrading and system safety. ”The upgrading works - said CPL CONCORDIA Area Manager Luca Marchegiani - concerns the gradual replacement of existing mercury vapour lamps with the same number of new LED fixtures, which will improve system efficiency. Approximately €2.5 million of the costs will be covered by the City Council through payment of a set annual fee for 19 years. The expenditure for the safety works (involving the installation of new lampposts to replace existing ones, as well as new power lines and electrical panels to replace those which are either non-compliant or in bad condition) will be covered by the savings made through the energy conservation.”

The installation of LED lighting (Italo series manufactured by AEC) will be the most important part of the project, but remote control systems will also be installed for all the electrical panels and the city’s traffic lights - which currently use incandescent lamps – will all be replaced by LED lamps, and finally, as regards technological

installations, three new red-light monitoring systems are due to be fitted. When asked about the beginning of the renewal works, Ravenna City Councillor for Public Works Andrea Corsini replied: ”This is the implementation of measures established on the basis of the priorities established by the city lighting plan approved by the city council and it will bring improvements in terms of safety, quality of life, and the overall image of our area.”

The agreement with the CPL temporary consortium - which will have a term of twenty years and envisages the handling of over 37,000 lights - also provides for the management and maintenance of access control systems for areas where traffic is limited, car park signalling systems (‘Sirio’ system), traffic control systems, and systems for monitoring traffic conditions and providing information to drivers on roads at risk, as well as the city council’s video surveillance systems.

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CNews n. 44 - March 2014

CPL in the spotlight in Italy

In the public lighting sector, CPL CONCORDIA is currently responsible for the management or maintenance of systems in over 40 towns and cities throughout Italy. As well as Ravenna, mention should also be made, among others, of San Benedetto del Tronto (AP), Cattolica (RM), Suzzara (MN), Zola Predosa (BO), Este (PD), Correggio (RE), Montesilvano (PE), Isernia, Conegliano Veneto (TV), Lesina (FG), and Monteparano (TA), making a total of 150,000 lights.

150,000 Lights throughout Italy

FOCUS ON

From the seafront to the town centre we renew Ravenna Timeframe

The conversion to LED was launched in February 2014 and concerns approximately 8500 lights including the city, countryside, and the coastal area, with plans in store for further renewal. The work will be carried out throughout the city, starting from the seafront area (Punta Marina, Marina di Ravenna, Lido Adriano, etc.) and will include the outer streets surrounding the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, the Mausoleum of Theodoric, the Rocca Brancaleone fortress, the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, the Porta Gaza gateway, and Piazza del Popolo. In conjunction with the local council, CPL is considering implementing the original plan with certain artistic lighting features, to further enhance the city’s historical and architectural heritage.

Energy conservation, financial savings, and environmental benefits

The energy conservation aspect is expected to translate as a reduction of 4,000,000 kWh/year, which amounts to around 2,200 tons of CO2 emissions avoided and about 850 TOE (Tons of Oil Equivalent) saved. In addition to the initial works which will borne by the temporary consortium, the local authority will benefit from the 20% share of the savings that will be achieved for the following works.

Safety

The lighting fixtures used are equipped with a disconnection device to cut off the power supply when the fixture is opened, while existing fixtures without protective conductors will be replaced with the same number of double-insulation fixtures which ensure the safety of the public lighting system if there is no earth connection. All the employees are trained to use aerial work platforms, carry out work at heights, and work on live parts, and are provided with all the necessary items of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), such as static-proof clothing, harnesses, safety helmets, and accident-prevention shoes. The main aim of the work proposed is to achieve total regulatory compliance.

CNews n. 44 - March 2014

Performance at Pisa airport “soars” with trigeneration The new energy system will allow the facility to cover 70% of its overall electricity needs, as well as a €400,000 reduction in yearly power supply costs.

The work, which was carried out in just 270 days thanks to coordination in the design and working activities, was fully financed by the resources of the company that manages the Tuscan airport, SAT S.p.A.

Giuseppe Sellitto (aged 48) - gsellitto@cpl.it Sales Area Manager, Tuscany

O

n 11th November 2013, the press conference to present Galileo Galilei Airpor’s new trigeneration plant was held in the airport’s business lounge. Featuring a 1.2 MW electricity output, the plant was designed, built, and commissioned by CPL CONCORDIA. It is a significant plant in an important facility as this airport, Tuscany’s busiest, also ranks ninth among Italian airports and reports an annual total of 4,500,000 passengers, served by 15 airlines.

The project was strongly pushed for by the client SAT S.p.A. (Società Aeroporto Toscano), which has always been attentive to improving energy efficiency and reducing environmental impact.

Another interesting aspect, and one which is quite unusual within the arena of Italian public works, was the fact that the system was fully financed by SAT, using resources re-allocated to investments after the positive results of the financial statements.

During the conference, Gina Giani and Antonio Favara (respectively, airport management company SAT S.p.A.’s managing director and maintenance service manager) explained the focus points of the project, highlighting all the factors behind the company’s decision to commission the new system. The plant, in fact, will cover 70% of the airport’s power needs in terms of electricity consumed annually, resulting in yearly savings amounting over 20% of energy consumption costs. As regards environmental impact, the plant will prevent CO2 emissions amounting to approximately

1,500 tonnes per year, i.e. the equivalent, for example, of 300 cars covering 20,000 km each year. In our increasingly energyintensive world, I think it is essential and far-sighted to take all possible, necessary steps to consume less energy and, as result, curb air pollution. The plant was built in just 270 days, including the design stage, and involved 90 days for the completion of the working design and relative approval by the Civil Aviation Authority, 50 days for the plant’s construction, and 30 days for commissioning and testing.

Vital for the project’s success was the professionalism of the client’s engineering staff, which demonstrated not only considerable familiarity with the specific subject of the contract, but also organisational ability and significant skill in liaising with us contractors, all the while respecting their respective roles. This represented a significant example of how it is possible to work effectively on the implementation of a project in the public sphere.

SAT S.p.A. complimented us on the professionalism shown during project delivery, in particular as regards the accuracy of the work carried out and the compliance with deadlines.

Further acknowledgement was given to CPL, represented by the engineers who developed the project and the on-site team (including project manager Mr Gallorini and engineers Mr Leoni and Mr Venzo), for work carried out in such an unusual area as the ‘air side’ of an airport.

The contract, which was signed in February 2013, upon completion of the procedure concerning the tender submitted at the end of 2012, now envisages the plant’s management, operation, and maintenance for the next eight years.

TRIPLE POWER SUPPLIED THROUGH SINGLE ENERGY GRID

At the heart of the system Watch the video of the SAT success story at Pisa airport

The installed plant provides 1190 kWe electrical power, 1330 kWth thermal power, and 500 kWf cooling power, with a pipeline network extending over 2.4 km.

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FOCUS ON

Top-notch energy for millions of travellers The trigeneration plant built for Galileo Galilei Airport features a natural gasfuelled CHP plant, which produces electricity for use within the airport. The thermal power recovered from the CHP plant is conveyed, as hot water, along the district heating pipes, with part going to the heating system and part to the absorption refrigerator, which produces cooling power to support the cooling station. The entire trigeneration plant is overseen by a remote control system which is fully integrated into the airport’s system. Let’s look at the key details: Jenbacher JMS 416 GS- N.L CHP plant Electricity supplied: 1190 kW Recovered thermal power: 1331 kW Tyfon CPL CONCORDIA absorption refrigerator Cooling power supplied: 500 kW Thermal power absorbed: 704 kW Two soundproof enclosures for the CHP plant and the absorption refrigerator Base (22m x 12m) and prefabricated building measuring approx. 1,800 m3.

Metal bearing frame on airport building roof for installation of absorption refrigerator and cooling tower (14m x 6m - empty weight: 14 tonnes) Approximately 250 m of sect. 240 mm2 FG7 cable installed, from ENEL substation to electrical engineering room for the CHP plant.

1600 kVA MV transformer Adaptation of electrical substation to meet requirements of CEI 0-16

Synfon makes its entry in Sicily Enthusiastic response at University of Castelvetrano-Selinunte to presentation of CPL’s wood chip-fuelled pyrogasification plant. System combines energy production with support for the activities of 26,000 forestry employees in the Sicily region.

Ricerca’, who outlined the use of pyrogasification as a possible solution. Speeches followed from the Mayor of Castelvetrano, Mr Felice Errante, the national chairman of UNIMPRESA, Mr Paolo Longobardi, and engineer Francesco Italia, from the Fire Brigade. Chairman of CPL CONCORDIA Robert Casari begun the contributions from our cooperative, describing its growth over 115 years of history, emphasising our members’ commitment and dedication and stressing how the desire to reinvent and rethink oneself can create solutions to what may initially appear to be insurmountable obstacles. When discussing Synfon, our latest advanced-technology product, engineer Alfredo Lupi described the wood-chip-fuelled gasification system and engineer Daniele Raso offered guests an in-depth look at the technical aspects, while I analysed and explained the incentive system linked to this innovative energy production system.

Given the positive reactions to the product that CPL presented, the feeling is that the careful, concise descriptions amply conveyed to those present exactly what results they could achieve. All it takes is the will to do so.

Giovanni Roccato (aged 31) - groccato@cpl.it Renewable energy sources, Sales Manager

O

n the morning of Saturday 18th January, at the Sicilian University of Castelvetrano-Selinunte, a conference was held to discuss improving energy efficiency through pyrolysis and the memorandum of understanding between local authorities, businesses, and universities. CPL CONCORDIA participated actively in the event through speeches outlining the technical and economic issues of the Synfon gasification system powered by wood chips, i.e. the pyrogasification plant developed

by CPL for the combined production of electricity and heat.

Speakers illustrated how this conversion of wood into energy would enable the local community to make full and innovative use of its woodland areas, enhancing the work of the 26,000 forestry workers of the region of Sicily, which currently lack staff planning. The conference was opened by engineer Vito Abate, head of the university, who stressed how university research provides businesses and government bodies with important tools and technical solutions to improve manufacturing activities in the area.

A brief introduction to the history of Sicily was given by priest, historian, and writer Prof. Michele Crociata.

In his speech, the Director-General of the Department of Energy of the Sicily Regional Council, Maurizio Pirillo, highlighted the critical issues in the employment of regional forestry workers and the topic was also touched on by Antonio Parrinello, director of the company ‘Sicilia e

13

EVER VIGILANT TO ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY Along with the natural gas-fuelled CHP plant recently installed in Occhiobello, in the Eurovo Group works and farms, nearly 4000 kW of photovoltaic systems have also been introduced.

Clean energy in egg products industry Eurovo Group, a world leader in the production and processing of eggs, has chosen to adopt a new natural gas-fuelled CHP plant, on the heels of a production efficiency policy geared towards sustainable energy, as demonstrated by the 4 MW photovoltaic plants installed at the works.

and all the linking areas. Eurovo Group has always been sensitive to social issues and environmental sustainability, and particularly attentive to renewable energy sources. Suffice to say, the Occhiobello works has a 1600 kW photovoltaic system and if one also considers the other seven photovoltaic systems installed in seven of the group’s other facilities, the total is nearing 4,000 kW. The energy conservation issue undoubtedly influenced Eurovo in its decision to install the other power production systems, including those based on primary sources other than the sun.

Following various financial proposals and intricate negotiations led by the client and involving CPL’s production, sales, and technical managers, in May 2013, our cooperative was awarded the contract for the installation of a natural gas-powered CHP plant with an electrical output of 1500 kW. Alongside the electricity generated, the CHP plant can produce 600 kg/h of saturated steam, with a pressure rating of 16 bar (used for drying the eggs) and 650 kW of thermal power in the form of hot water supplied at 90°C, which is used in the manufacturing processes, and for heating and air conditioning in the work environs.

The construction of the plant, which began towards the end of 2013, immediately after obtaining to construction and operation permits required from the regional authority, was completed in February 2014. The plant, which was started up in early March, is already a fully operational cog in the production machinery.

Thanks to the CPL CONCORDIA maintenance service, the cooperative will be monitoring the plant closely and, for at least another eight years, will be involved in the management of the energy system and all the activities needed to ensure the plant continues to produce clean energy, fully supporting and meeting the manufacturing facilities’ needs and requirements.

Mauro Pascutti (aged 37) - mpascutti@cpl.it Project Manager, North East area

I

n the town of Occhiobello, located on the border of the Veneto and Emilia Romagna regions, CPL CONCORDIA has recently produced a new natural gas-fuelled CHP plant for Eurovo, a long-established company operating in the food industry, and more specifically, in the production and processing of eggs. To understand the importance of Eurovo, a prime example of Italian business history, let’s take a step back in time to the middle of the last century, when Anita and Lionello Rainier - a husband and wife team from a town in the province of Padua - had the exceptional idea of opening a small business for manually shelling eggs. From this initial idea, the company has grown unstoppably, gradually passing from a handful of tradesmen to a large-scale corporate entity, with its expansion strategy extending beyond merely geographical limits. Step by step, their tiny workshop grew into an organisation that, under the leadership of their two sons Ireno and Siro, now ranks among the top names worldwide in the egg products industry, with 17 manufacturing facilities in Italy and abroad.

Despite the new scale of the company and the broadening of business to cover the entire egg products supply chain (from management of the breeding facilities through to final distribution, with hundreds of vehicles owned), the feeling is that the business is still family run. Special attention is focussed on interpersonal relationships, development, and investments, and quality remains a high priority, not just as regards the finished product, but also in terms the intermediate stages of production

15

Green contract for Rome ATER, public housing department An agreement has been signed for the energy management of the property owned by the public housing agency of the city of Rome. By 2015, individual metering and remote metering will be standard features for all the homes in the system, making a total of almost 100,000 meters. Together with the savings in electricity bills and the energy efficiency these features will bring, 2,000 tonnes of emissions will also be avoided each year.

One of the large residential buildings owned

by Rome City Council, whose properties include 25,000 homes, housing around 100,000 people in various kinds of buildings.

A technician carrying out maintenance on the heating systems in the Rome ATER buildings

Nicola Verrini (aged 42) - nverrini@cpl.it Area Sales Manager, Tyrrhenian Area

E

nergy conservation, lower pollutant emissions, and fairly priced bills. These are the essential goals sought by the new contract for the energy upgrading and management of the ATER properties in the city of Rome. The contract, which has a term of five years and a sum of €80 million, was signed by the Director-General of ROME ATER, Claudio Rosi, with CPL CONCORDIA, as principle of the temporary consortium that submitted the successful bid.

The contract has a ‘green’ mark awarded pursuant to national and international legislation, as it will contribute to the reaching both national objectives and those established by the Kyoto Protocol.

To put it briefly, in addition to providing a full heating service, the technical design offered by CPL envisages the implementation of a plan to achieve regulatory compliance and upgrade energy performance amounting to approximately €18 million. When the system is fully operational, the total annual energy conservation will be the equivalent of around 2,000 tonnes of CO2 in terms of emissions avoided.

The heart of the plan is a wireless network that allows the remote reading of meters installed on individual radiators. By the start of winter 2014/2015, all homes either owned or managed by Rome ATER will be equipped with these individual heat control and metering systems. The plan envisages the installation of almost one hundred thousand meters. In 2003, the first trial plants were built, which were used to test the expected results, and then in 2008, given the substantial savings reported (averaging around 15%), Rome ATER re-launched the project which, with this contract, will cover all the homes in question.

Another innovation is the formal introduction of White Certificates, also known as ”Energy Efficiency Certificates” (EEC), i.e. negotiable instruments that certify the achievement of savings in the end use of energy through measures and projects

designed to increase energy efficiency. Rome ATER will share in the earnings from the sale of these instruments at a rate ranging from 50% to 80%. This type of incentive will also allow the agency to implement all the investments planned to improve the energy quality of buildings and plants.

The plan also includes a far-reaching publicity campaign and a series of ventures aimed at increasing awareness among tenants. Experience has shown that technological solutions alone are not sufficient to make savings, as people also need to incorporate changes into their daily routines.

When these small but consistently applied actions result in fast, transparent savings, we are on the right track to reaching the expected goals.

From this perspective, the new information systems offered

by CPL CONCORDIA will assist Rome ATER in its transition to a faster, more transparent, and fairer division of the costs of the heating service. ”With the start of this contract,” said DirectorGeneral Claudio Rosi ”we intend to produce a tangible signal of our renewed commitment to the management of our properties through the combination of various measures aimed at improving energy efficiency, environmental protection, and fairness of the payments made by tenants for the services received. We believe that the technology and information promoted by this project will bring forth positive daily habits that will curb waste and pollution, while also cutting household expenses.”

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Cooperation with a small environmental footprint An innovative trigeneration plant built by CPL CONCORDIA provides electricity and cooling power that ensures optimal operation of the rotary presses company of Modenabased graphic design cooperative, which owns the largest highpagination rotary press in Italy.

Chairman of COPTIP Giancarlo Panini illustrates the financial and environmental reasoning behind the decision to install a trigeneration plant to optimise the company’s production processes .The plant’s ribbon cutting ceremony, attended by Councillor for the Environment Simona Arletti and CPL CONCORDIA managers

Claudio Gardosi (aged 31) Project Manager

cgardosi@cpl.it

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OPTIP Industrie Grafiche, a leading graphic design cooperative in the Italian market, has opted for energy independence with low environmental impact. The new trigeneration plant designed to meet the complex energy needs related to rotary printing presses and processes was unveiled on 28th February. Participants at the ceremony included Modena City Councillor for the Environment Simona Arletti and other companies interested in improving energy efficiency in their production processes. ”For years now, COPTIP has pursued an investment strategy aimed at optimising energy consumption and incorporating environmental policies,” said chairman of COPTIP Giancarlo Panini. ”With the trigeneration plant built by CPL CONCORDIA, we can generate electricity from low environmental impact energy sources, while also cutting costs and increasing the company’s independence in sourcing new energy supplies.” According to the chairman, the decision to work with the Concordiabased cooperative group stemmed from the desire to develop innovative processes among cooperatives, and this goal was further facilitated by the fact that CPL is particularly experienced member of the energy industry. The plant, which is already operational, features a cogenerator capable of generating 245 kW of electricity and a 344 kW of thermal power. In response to visual and sound control requirements within the company, the CHP unit was installed inside a movable soundproof enclosure (built near the existing cooling unit) which also houses a new 244 kW Tyfon CPL absorption refrigerator unit, with energy profile specially designed for COPTIP by CPL engineers. The cooling power generated by the absorption refrigerator is used to cool the printing machinery, while the electricity produced is entirely used on-site in the company’s production processes, thereby fostering energy independence. The new environmentally sustainable energy system was received with enthusiastic approval by Councillor for the Environment Simona Arletti, representing the

mayor of Modena, Giorgio Pighi: “Awareness of environmental issues within manufacturing processes, as shown by the power plant opened here today, represents a best practice that should be adopted by all businesses who are sensitive to the economy and the local community.” The Modena-based graphic design company, which employs over 100 people, owns four rotary highpagination printing presses, including the largest size rotary press in Italy. The business already holds SA 8000 certification (corporate responsibility) and is compliant with ISO 14001 (Environmental Management) and FSC and PEFC standards (chain of custody mechanism for the protection of forests, linked to the COPTIP’s role as a major paper user), and its new energy facilities provide tangible proof of the company’s decision to adopt an innovative, environmentally friendly approach to its operations. ”With the plant installed at COPTIP, the cogeneration and trigeneration systems built by CPL Concordia in Italy and abroad have hit the 500 mark,” said Robert Casari, chairman of CPL CONCORDIA, as he remembered the launch of the natural gas-powered CHP plants established in Poland for multinational corporation EDF and in Thailand for Honda Automobile. ”In keeping with our customer care style, following start-up, we will be looking after the equipment for the next eight years, monitoring the plant’s production dynamics through our after-sales and maintenance service, so that we ensure COPTIP reaches or even as sometimes happens - surpasses performance expectations.”

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Total plant control New round-the-clock contact centre and control room opened in CPL for report management and supervision of hundreds of plants - from cogeneration to global service, public lighting to photovoltaic systems

Emanuele Malavasi (aged 39) Project manager, ICT

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emalavasi@cpl.it

inally, a year and a half on from the earthquake in Emilia, with the ICT department’s return to the premises in Concordia sulla Secchia, (which involved around 110 workers), CPL CONCORDIA has opened two important departments, namely the contact centre and the control room.

Established in 2002, the CPL contact centre provides technical services including the management of global service reports and calls concerning heating, public lighting, CHP plants, gas substations, and emergency assistance for multiutility companies (gas, electricity, water), as well as contacts and reminders for sales companies (gas, electric, water), and market research and customer satisfaction surveys. In 2013, the service handled about 175,000 calls (statistics can be viewed via www.ictcenter.it).

In June 2009, CPL obtained UNI EN ISO 9001:2008 certification for this service, confirming compliance with the main service level indicators, as well as

CNews n. 44 - March 2014

applicable resolutions and regulations, including: • UNI 11200:2010 (for the protection of citizens and consumers) • ARG/gas 120/08 and the subsequent 574/2013/R/gas on gas emergency services • ARG/elt 198/11 on electricity emergency service • ARG/com 164/08 on quality of business telephone services Even in exceptional circumstances such as those experienced during the earthquake in 2012, service continuity has always been guaranteed. After this time spent handling all the reports in specially equipped containers (since the operators’ offices were no longer usable), the new workspace is now up and running.

Spacious, soundproofed, and equipped with latest generation PCs and phones, it also features wall boards to ensure the constant monitoring of service levels (operator statues, code display, SLAs, etc.). What is more, with a view to continuous improvement and providing our customers with an increasing number of valueadded services, we have opened our new control room, which offers: Twelve 55” LED monitors with BARCO controller and 6 workstations each operator equipped with two 23” touchscreen monitors.

• Supervision of cogeneration, trigeneration, and biogas plants; • Photovoltaic systems manufacturing supervision and control; • Supervision of energy consumption monitoring systems; • Supervision of special systems (smoke detection, access control, video surveillance); • Alarm management and supervision of any remote-monitored systems (public lighting, gas substations, sewage treatment plants, etc.).

The control room offers the following services: • Supervision, time programming, emergency call management and optimisation for all heating, air conditioning and electrical systems equipped with remote-monitoring equipment;

In the short term, the company aims to provide a round-the-clock internal service, open every day of the year (contact centre and control room), with external back-up (safety is not an optional), thereby further expanding the services offered.

DIGAS, the new CPL-designed and built software for gas distribution Developed internally by the ICT department in conjunction with partner Microsoft, the software combines the use of a modern ERP platform with a verticalisation approach, providing a dedicated add-on for managing the administrative activities. allows you to keep all the benefits that the world of Microsoft offers - for example, flawless integration with OFFICE tools and, in particular, easy data importing and exporting in the different formats and via the various paths available (e.g. EXCEL, XML, CSV) – as well as being able to handle email communications within the workspace. Finally, Digas also offers a practical web portal for managing communications with the natural gas sales company, in compliance with AEEG requirements, including: the National Communication Standard, online booking, documentation management, and more.

The data migration activities and the launch of the new software were handled by the staff of the CPL ICT department, and more specifically by the members of the distribution and regulatory advice departments. The staff of companies concerned by the software change were guided through the transition to the new system via dedicated training sessions, first held at the of CPL headquarters in Concordia (Modena) and then, during the second phase, at the individual offices located around Italy (in the case of CPL Distribution, in Campania, Calabria, and Sicily).

Andrea Mantovani (aged 44) - amantovani@cpl.it Sales Manager, ICT Department

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IGAS is the new software developed and used by CPL CONCORDIA to manage the specific activities of natural gas distribution companies in Italy and abroad. The full transition to DIGAS software marks a fundamental turning point for the Emilia-based power group; the benefits arising from the adoption of this highly advanced and innovative product will lead to a synergy of activities related to natural gas distribution for both CPL Group companies and customer companies with similar needs. In just five years, the DIGAS software has been adopted by over thirty businesses, including the CPL Group companies operating in distribution.

The advantages of choosing the software are immediately clear.

All the CPL Group staff involved in natural gas distribution use the same IT platform, resulting in obvious advantages in terms of training and support.

DIGAS is a dynamic software, based on Microsoft Dynamics NAV, which combines the use of a modern ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) platform with a verticalised approach, offering a dedicated add-on to manage the administrative activities specific to natural gas distribution in accordance with regulations established by Italy’s electricity and gas authority (AEEG). The new software has been developed internally, within the CPL ICT department, working in association with specialist partner Microsoft on the Dynamics NAV platform. This synergy

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CNews n. 44 - March 2014

Redengas facilitates access to gas for indigent families In Argentina’s Entre Rios province, newborn Social Responsibility Consortium creates fund to finance access to gas for six hundred pensioners and families in particularly difficult financial conditions, significantly reducing conventional energy costs in homes.

Luigi Bisaschi (aged 64) Chairman of Redengas

lbisaschi@cpl.it

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n 28th November 2013, at the Government Headquarters of the Argentine province of Entre Rios in Paranà, the first Consortium for Social Responsibility in the province’s history was formed. The purpose of the consortium, which was launched with initial backing totalling 4 million pesos, 50% of which was provided by the Ministry for Social Development, 25% by the Secretariat of Energy, and the remaining 25% by Redengas (gas service provider in the city of Paraná), is the creation of a fund to establish a funding plan whose first phase will enable six hundred needy pensioners and families to access to the gas service, significantly reducing conventional energy costs in their homes. The loans will be have ceiling of 10 thousand pesos per family and apart from being interest-free (while local banks currently apply an average annual interest rate of 38%), they will also have a 24-month repayment plan, starting on the date of the first gas bill. These loans will allow people in uncertain financial situations to connect up to the gas network, paying for their internal systems to be built and user devices to be installed, thereby greatly alleviating the current financial burden derived from the use of LPG and/or electricity in homes.

The signing of the historic agreement was attended by various dignitaries including the Governor of the Province Sergio Urribbarri, the Prime Minister, the Minister for Social Development, the Secretary of Energy, the chairman of the senior citizens centre and Redengas managers, led by Redengas chairman Alberto

Gutierrez and chairman of CPL CONCORDIA Roberto Casari.

The CPL CONCORDIA Group has been operating in Paraná since 1998 through subsidiary Redengas S.A., which manages the distribution and sale of natural gas to over 60,000 residential and industrial customers, making a total of 130 million m3 of gas sold each year. The company has recently expanded its activities to include the construction of infrastructure (gas and water pipelines, fibre-optic cable laying), with the acquisition of contracts totalling 15 million pesos. What is more, the new plant for the production of photovoltaic panels is scheduled to start up shortly in Paraná, which will be providing panels for renewable energy systems throughout South America. Argentina’s first factory for in-house production of solar panels will be increasing the number of staff on the books from 35 to over 80 in the coming year.

CPL CONCORDIA scores telephony hat-trick Already successful in the sale of gas and electricity, CPL has expanded its business portfolio. After investing in the telecommunications market, the cooperative group is now ready to branch into landline telephone and Internet services aimed at residential customers.

technology allowing users to communicate and interact online, offering all the potential of the net within an increasingly social world. A prime example of such potential is televisions, which - thanks to a simple Wi-Fi connection - now allow viewers access to films and other audiovisual content previously only available via computer. As a result, TV companies are now able to compete with the giants of satellite broadcasting in the world of entertainment. Although mobile phones have come a long way, most people still find the stronger signal offered by their router at home preferable for the use of other devices, such as games consoles and tablets, and the same can be said of the higher quality communications offered by landlines, rather than the broken up calls users often have to put up with when using their mobiles indoors at home.

Through the COOPTEL brand and the technical skills provided

by TECNOSERVIZI, CPL CONCORDIA aims to offer customers an experience that focuses on the use of technologically advanced devices, thereby adding another important market segment to the range of free-market services available from the Concordiabased multi-utility company. As part of its increasingly integrated approach, geared to the needs of household customers, CPL Group already supplies gas and electricity through its subsidiary COOPGAS. This means the group will be offering landline phone and Internet services, with the same underlying objectives as our other activities, namely quality, savings, and attractive prices with a transparent policy. It is with this spirit and confidence that we hope to share with members, employees, and all the other stakeholders, the benefits of this new and forward-thinking venture, that goes by the name of COOPTEL.

Paolo Barbieri (aged 29) - pbarbieri@cpl.it Energy Procurement Manager

Andrea Gambuzzi (aged 27) - agambuzzi@cpl.it Heat Management and Energy Department

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PL CONCORDIA is in the home stretch for the acquisition of 50% of the company TECNOSERVIZI, based in Rovereto sulla Secchia (MO). TECNOSERVIZI S.a.s. was established in 1996 with a view to operating in the ICT industry, specialising in the design, supply, and management of systems combing voice and data over TCP/IP. With a large part of its operations carried out in the province of Modena, within a market segment comprised of SMEs and public bodies, TECNOSERVIZI soon found itself working as a supplier to CPL at the Concordia headquarters. At the beginning of 2013, the skills, know-how, and authorisations held by the Rovereto-based company caught the interest of CPL, which was making plans to expand its business portfolio and invest in a new market, i.e. telecommunications. During recent months, the company had poured its efforts into structuring and planning the activities that have led, today, to the launch of landline telephone and Internet services aimed at residential customers, under the brand COOPTEL. Although highly dynamic and populated by large, established players, the industry offers attractive business opportunities, especially given the growing importance of web-based services. Just think of how the word ‘smart’ has become part of common parlance in reference to

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CNews n. 44 - March 2014

Assicoop presents Coopgas to its 100,000 members Interview with Milo Pacchioni, Chairman of Assicoop Modena and Ferrara S.p.A., and UNIPOLSAI agent for the provinces of Modena and Ferrara, on working together to cut gas and electricity costs Francesco Manicardi (aged 43) Head of Press Office, CPL

fmanicardi@cpl.it

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r Pacchioni, why is Assicoop promoting the Coopgas gas and electricity energy services agreement?

As part of an endeavour to lend continuity to a business model that includes insurance, banking, and other key services, Assicoop Modena & Ferrara S.p.A. seized the opportunity of working with Coopgas S.r.l., recognising its own ethical commitment to fairness and transparency in the natural gas and electricity provider.

What can customers and families expect from the Assicoop/ Coopgas products?

We are aware of the need for both savings and clarity of information among customers who take out insurance with us, particularly at the moment, with family budgets so stretched by the recession.

While the Italian electricity and gas authority usually applies a standard rate for families, we have found that Coopgas can offer them much more attractive prices and conditions. Coopgas also offers small and medium-sized enterprises flexible conditions, tailored to the area of business and the usage profile, and always prioritising savings and service quality.

Mr Pacchioni, when did the ”Assicoop – Coopgas” operation start and what was the initial response?

The Assicoop organisation spent several weeks preparing an area test involving two of our branches in the city of Modena, the first inside the Coop Estense ”I Portali” hypermarket and the second at the Assicoop head office, on Via Carlo Zucchi. Thanks also to the dissemination of specific, clearly-written information

packs, the first agreements were entered into with both corporate and residential customers. An additional plan of discounted rates was prepared for Assicoop employees and associates.

For those looking for information on the Assicoop/Coopgas product range, is there a website available in addition to the branches in Modena?

To find out more about the promotions and offer conditions, would-be customers can visit the following websites: www. assicoop.com or www.coopgas.it, or call the freephone number 800 917 917. Assicoop’s has stepped up its commitment to offering customers new opportunities to make savings. All household customers and businesses have to now do is grab this opportunity to cut their power bills!

ABOUT COOPGAS COOPGAS is the CPL CONCORDIA group company that supplies, brokers, and sells natural gas and electricity. It operates throughout Italy, serving customers’ various needs via its numerous branches, as well as an online contact centre and a call centre.

FOCUS ON

Find out about our latest offers!

COOPGAS rates are ever more attractive thanks to our latest offers:

GAS VANTAGGIO (lower rates for your gas) GAS FLAT (fixed gas rates) LUCE FLAT (fixed electricity rates)

Find out more on the website www.coopgas.it

SACE in Concordia to support the Modenabased exporters Invited by CPL CONCORDIA and WAM Group, chairman of SACE Giovanni Castellaneta presented to business owners, traders, and local banks the solutions offered to support companies in Modena through their internationalisation process.

The chairman of CPL CONCORDIA Roberto Casari illustrates to ambassador Giovanni Castellaneta certain corporate facilities in which reconstruction is underway.

The business owners, traders, and banks attending the conference titled “Incontro all’Impresa”, organised in the Sala Bighi conference hall in Concordia (MO).

Francesco Manicardi (aged 43) fmanicardi@cpl.it Head of Press Office

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n 25th February, CPL CONCORDIA - which has been committed to overseas development for some time now - hosted a major event on internationalisation aimed at companies based in Modena interested in strengthening their presence in foreign markets. The key figure at the conference, titled “Incontro all’Impresa” was SACE’s chairman, Giovanni Castellaneta, a former ambassador in Washington and Tehran, who spoke at the event organised by CPL in association with WAM Group, a multinational corporation from Cavezzo (MO). The meeting was attended by a number of manufacturing businesses located in the low-lying area of the province of Modena, including business owners, traders, banks, and representatives from local institutions interested in discovering the opportunities offered by SACE to assist them in their internationalisation process. “At such a sensitive time, not long after the dramatic events of the earthquake and the floods that hit the area recently, Mr Castellaneta’s presence is a strong sign of SACE’s closeness to local companies in this area of Modena, which have always been big exporters” - stressed Roberto Casari, chairman of CPL CONCORDIA. “Even for a company like CPL, which has doubled its turnover and employees during these last five

years, regardless of the recession, e x p a n s i o n beyond national borders requires a combination of ingredients that is far from obvious, including a sound financial mechanism and knowledge of the economic dynamics of various countries.“ Vainer Marchesini, business owner at the head of WAM Group, a multinational manufacturing corporation based in Cavezzo (MO), provided listeners with an interesting distinction between internationalisation and globalisation, export activities and production abroad, retracing the difficult journey made “back in 1984 to set up the first manufacturing plant in the United States. The Italian government was not even a factor in the operation; we had no help from there whatsoever.”

Mr Castellaneta began by explaining the role of SACE, which offers insurance and financial products aimed at promoting the internationalisation of businesses by covering the political and business risks Italian operators (companies and banks) face in relation to their activities abroad. “Export has been the key to the success of the 25,000 Italian companies (mostly SMEs) that have approached SACE for its services in recent years. I am proud to be able

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to meet up with representatives from companies in Emilia Romagna, a region with extraordinary character, whose businesses have responded remarkably to the difficulties experienced during recent years. For these enterprises, SACE - which has a branch in Modena – represents the ideal partner to help seize the opportunities offered by foreign markets.” Assisted by Simonetta Acri, SACE’s domestic network manager, Mr Castellaneta reviewed the services with which “rather than helping companies, our aim is to guide them through the development process”.

SACE, a subsidiary of the Cassa Depositi e Prestiti group, offers customers export credit, credit insurance, investment protection, financial guarantees, deposits, and protection against building and factoring risks. With transactions worth a total of €70 billion insured in 189 countries, the SACE group reinforces the competitiveness of companies in Italy and abroad, ensuring steadier cash flows and transforming insolvency risks into opportunities for development.

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The range of offerings available from SACE FOCUS ON

From insurance and financial solutions for managing credit to obtaining loans and reducing non-payment risks, SACE has bricks-and-mortar premises, online assistance centres, and ad hoc initiative for SMEs. SACE assists companies in their internationalisation process and to boost competitiveness. It does so by providing insurance and financial solutions which allow them to manage credit better, obtain loans more easily, reduce non-payment risks, and move safely towards new markets.

Wherever the business is located, the easiest way to get in touch with SACE is through its website (www.sace.it.)

The company also has a network of independently operating local branches, detached from the headquarters in Rome, which can handle transactions of up to €20 million and helps companies find the most approrairate products for their requirements, from credit insurance to guarantees to facilitate access to funding, from the protection of investments to factoring, and from deposits to construction risk policies.

SACE has also developed an online interface, www.exportplus.it, which allows companies to insure sales and investments abroad and obtain financial sureties and/or deposits through arrangements with the banking system.

“PMI NO STOP” (NON-STOP SMEs) is the latest venture embarked upon by Group. The dedicated website, www. pminostop.it, aimed exclusively at small and medium sized businesses, offers customers a one-stop shop to meet the challenges thrown up by the current economic climate, including easier access to funding, better credit management, reduced non-payment

risks, and a safer way of approaching new markets. Businesses with turnovers of under €50 million and fewer than 250 employees will be able to reinforce their development plans using the six product lines available, with particularly favourable conditions (free preliminary opinions, no preparatory research costs, discounts on premiums applied) dedicated customer care and a network of offices in Italy and abroad tailored to the needs of SMEs. Factoring is another crucial

service for small and medium-sized enterprises. One way of wiping out uncertainty surrounding payment timing is by ensuring receipt of payments via a factoring company, which guarantees payments to suppliers on time. SACE Fct, the SACE factoring company, offers further services supporting companies in relation to cash flow problems.

CPL CONCORDIA opens gas companies to investment funds €20 million transaction with infrastructure funds managed by Fondaco SGR and Orizzonte SGR. Agreement will enable CPL to broaden investments in activities including management, gas sales, and the acquisition of new concessions

Pierluigi Capelli (aged 44) pcapelli@cpl.it Chief Financial Officer Massimo Continati (aged 52) mcontinati@cpl.it Director of Administration and Information Systems

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PL CONCORDIA Group opens participation in its gas industry activities to national funds.

At the end of November 2013, a sale went through which saw 49% of the shares in EGN s.r.l. (European Gas Network), transferred from sole shareholder CPL CONCORDIA to two major national infrastructure funds. The shares were bought by Fondo Sistema Infrastrutture, the infrastructure system fund of the Italian Chamber of Commerce, which is managed by Orizzonte SGR, and Fondo PPP, the first Italian infrastructure fund established, which is managed by Fondaco SGR, with Equiter SpA (Intesa Sanpaolo Group) as investment advisor.

EGN is the sub-holding company of CPL CONCORDIA Group which has recently received contributions in the form of the

main natural gas and LPG distribution companies in Italy and, in one case, also abroad, in Romania (i.e. CPL Distribuzione, Marigliano Gas, Ischia Gas, Fontenergia, and CPL Filiala in Cluj, Romania) EGN distributes gas to over 75,000 users with a network extending over 2700 km under concession (for the most part built CPL), and it has more than €100 million of invested capital and a net worth of over €40 million. The consideration for the sale, organised and overseen by DREAM Capital Partners S.p.A. as advisor to CPL CONCORDIA Group, amounts to approximately €20 million.

Given the current tension in the financial markets, CPL CONCORDIA Group plans to use this transaction to differentiate its financial sources.

Opening up to

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infrastructure funds will provide additional resources to support investments related to both the gas companies’ core business and those required to participate in calls for tenders with a view to acquiring new gas concessions.

At the end of this journey, which lasted almost two years, CPL does not rule out the possibility of further extending this strategy, in order to finance new investments in the industry with strong prospects for profitability.

CPL Group joins management of Tea Acque Mantova February marked the arrival of a new shareholder for Tea Acque Mantova. With the acquisition of 40% of the company’s stock, CPL subsidiary Acque della Concordia aims to make its expertise (concerning improving energy efficiency of water systems and network emergency response measures) available to Tea Acque.

A water facility owned

by Tea Acque, the Tea Group subsidiary that provides water services to over 250 thousand inhabitants Signing the agreement - (from the left) Roberto Casari, chair of CPL CONCORDIA, Raffaella Roncaia (chair of Tea Acque), Luigi Gualerzi (chair of the Tea S.p.a. Group), Davide Bonfietti, (chair of Acque della Concordia)

Davide Bonfietti (aged 35) dbonfietti@cpl.it Chair of Acque della Concordia

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n 7th February, Acque della Concordia, a CPL CONCORDIA Group subsidiary, became the industrial partner of Tea Acque, the member of the Tea Group that provides water services to over 250 thousand inhabitants within the province of Mantua.

Acque della Concordia s.r.l. was established by CPL CONCORDIA Soc. Coop. and S.T.A. s.r.l., the two companies making up the temporary consortium that was awarded, in October 2013, the contract concerned by the call for tender issued in December 2010 by Tea S.p.A. to recruit a private-sector shareholder for Tea Acque s.r.l.

Participants at the Tea Acque members’ meeting then approved the increase in the share capital reserved for the contract awardee, which joined the company with 40% share. The agreement concerning the purchase of the shares and the performance of the operational tasks envisaged was also signed by the partners.

“We feel that cooperation between the public and private sectors is the way forward. Water services must always be readily available, with quality assured at the lowest possible price.

This service also includes purification and the sewerage system, which - for a community within such as an important

province as Mantua - have to be managed in accordance with European quality standards too” said Roberto Casari, chairman of CPL CONCORDIA. Acque della Concordia draws on the expertise of CPL, which has been building and managing water systems in northern and central Italy for 60 years now. from Arezzo to Monghidoro, from Belgioiso to Valmontone, public- and private-sector clients and customers have expressed satisfaction with the work and activities carried out by our cooperative since 1957. We will lend Tea Acque our expertise in improving energy efficiency in water systems and in emergency response services linked to the networks.” Chairman of the Tea Group, Luigi Gualerzi, confirmed the commitment made at the time with the local councils holding

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shares in the enterprise. “Maintaining a public-sector majority shareholding in this kind of company, including all the governance and policy-making activities that comes with it (especially as regards investments and the strict tender specifications) helps safeguard the good keeping of the water service, and maintain public control of the company. The experience offered by the new shareholder will provide local authorities and inhabitants with guarantees concerning the quality of the operations due to be carried out.”

The new board of directors of Tea Acque comprises Raffaella Roncaia (chair), Nunzio Belluzzi (deputy chair), managing director of Tea Piero Falsina, and directors Paolo Bonesi and Enrico Moschini, representing Acque della Concordia.

CNews n. 44 - March 2014

When nature’s fury is faced with Lego

Students from the Galilei FE college in Mirandola played a leading role in the World Science and Robotics Championship promoted by the ”First Lego League”, with a vibrating table made out of Lego, designed to simulate the effects of earthquakes on buildings.

Fabio Balboni fabiobalboni@libero.it Lecturer in automation at the Galilei FE college in Mirandola

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team of eight third-year students from the Galilei FE college in Mirandola (MO) took part in the northeast Italy interregional stage of the First Lego League (FLL) championship, in Udine. A worldwide science and robotics championship, the FLL challenge has teams of children and teenagers designing, building, and programming their own autonomous robots. The FLL stems from a partnership between LEGO and FIRST (an American association named ‘For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology’) and involves 61 countries across all five continents.

The theme of this year’s challenge (the same the world over) was to come up with ways of combating “Nature’s Fury”.

Putting their own personal experience in the 2012 earthquake to use, the Galilei students’ proposal involved the creation of a mobile educational laboratory for teaching about seismic events. As part of this proposal, they built a portable vibrating table made of Lego parts which was controlled with a

Lego NXT unit. The table is designed to help study the responses of a variety of constructions (e.g. buildings with up to three storeys, a bungalow, and a water tower), all made of Lego and subjected to vibrations with a range of different frequencies to simulate an earthquake.

To acquire the necessary knowledge, lecturers Mr Balboni and Mr Cilloni took their students to Bologna, to see the Istituto Aldini Valeriani – Sirani, which houses the Bologna-based section of the permanent exhibition realized by the Rimini-based NPO “Io non tremo” (i.e. ‘I won’t quake’) with an earthquake education laboratory.In Udine, the competition involved several stages examining various topics (presentation of the scientific project, discussion of the robots construction choices, work style, and teamwork): The Galilei team came first for the scientific report and ninth overall out of the 24 teams that took part, which meant they went through to the national final, which will be held in Rovereto, in the province of Trento. The tournament’s organisers also considered the project so important and innovative that they suggest that the Galilei team participate in the Global Innovation Award, a prestigious international competition linked to

the FLL. The was a great team spirit established between the students and their teachers, although it was the students that were put personally to the test, as it was their responsibility to find the best solutions with the best results, interacting with others politely, respectfully, and in compliance with a strictly applied set of rules. This is one example of how schools can motivate their students, kindling new interests and teaching them new skills and abilities.

CPL CONCORDIA, which sponsored the costs of participation in the competition, will be looking on with great interest at this form of skills development among the students of today, who are set to become the technicians and engineers of tomorrow.

EXPONENTIAL GROWTH FOR THE FIRST LEGO LEAGUE Since it started in 1998 through to 2012, participation at the FFL event has literally exploded, stepping up from 210 teams in the pilot project to the current 19,800 teams, with 198,000 children all around the world taking part.

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www.cpl.it

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New products and services to provide solutions to the needs of savings and efficiency of our customers.

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Via A. Grandi, 39 41033 Concordia s/S. (Modena) - ITALY tel. +39.0535.616.111 - fax +39.0535.616.300 info@cpl.it - www.cpl.it

With 114 years of history and 1,800 employees, CPL CONCORDIA operates in Italy and Abroad in the whole energy sector.