Arcese is to introduce natural gas-powered vans for last-mile urban deliveries in London this summer.

The Italian logistics firm already launched a similar operation on Milan's restricted traffic areas and  historical centre at the start of the year, as part of its environmental strategy and to meet demand from customers for sustainable logistics.

A pilot project was undertaken using natural gas vans for deliveries in urban areas as an alternative to traditional internal combustion engines, with CO2 emissions reduced by between 5% and 8%.

The company has opted to use Iveco Daily Natural Power vans on its operation, as it said they provide an efficient combination of performance and eco-sustainability.

Matteo Arcese, president of Arcese Group, said: “This pilot project is just one of a series of initiatives that we are pursuing on several fronts in efforts to reduce the environmental impact of our activities: these range from the constant renewal of the fleet, to driver training on the principles of sustainable driving, the development of intermodal transport, and the installation of photovoltaic systems on our new sites."

The company renewed 15% of its fleet in 2014: 95% are Euro-5 and Euro-5 EEV vehicles (Enhanced Environmentally Friendly Vehicles), while the remaining 5% are Euro-6 vehicles.

Arcese in the UK is based at Thurrock, Essex and runs a fleet of around 80 vehicles.

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