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Antonio Bravo Machinery Manager of FCC Medio Ambiente How has the company progressed in recent years in this type of pro- jects and in the implementation of more sustainable vehicle fleets? Sustainability in urban services is one of the pillars of FCC Medio Am- biente identity. Precisely one of the commitments of our 2050 Sustai- nability Strategy is that by that year 100% of the fleet will be made up of vehicles with an Eco or Zero environ- mental label. More than 45 years ago the company developed the first 100% electric ve - hicle for urban waste collection. To- day, more than 15% of our vehicles are powered by clean or alternative energies to oil. Many of these vehi- cles have been developed as a result of innovation projects carried out in- ternally or by leading consortia with the most prestigious industrial com- panies in the country. In 2015 we started a project, partly subsidised by the CDTI, to develop the first 100% electric fleet for the cleaning and maintenance of Bar- celona’s sewage system. Thirteen 100% electric heavy-duty vehicles were custom-developed, some of them with up to 400 kWh batteries, which are still in service to date. Another example is the VEMTESU project, developed through a consor- tium led byFCC Medio Ambiente and made up of large companies, SMEs and public research bodies, to design and manufacture the first 100% elec - tric chassis-platform for heavy urban service vehicles. The project was awarded a prize at the Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona in 2019, and also at the 2019/2020 edition of the EBAE Awards. This chassis was already developed to incorporate a hydrogen fuel cell with minor structural changes. What motivated the company to develop the project and how did it come about? Does it lay the founda - tions for the future? Innovation is in FCC Medio Ambiente DNA, and has always had the funda- mental support and impetus of the company’s management. In recent decades we have focused our initia- tives on electromobility, with high-ca- pacity batteries sized specifically for the services the vehicles provide, sometimes using low-emission ran- ge extenders. Undertaking this new fuel cell hea- vy collector project will allow us to achieve greater autonomy with Zero Emissions technology. Another fun- damental reason, in the context of the energy crisis in Europe, is that hydrogen is emerging as an alterna- tive energy vector. What does it mean to work on a project like this together with other prestigious companies, how has each one influenced the other and how has it been carried out? To develop a large-scale project such as H2TRUCK, we are working with companies, Public Research Bodies (PRIs) and top-level techno- logy centres. FCC Medio Ambiente, and specifica - lly my department, is proud to be part of this consortium and to lead it. How does FCC Medio Ambiente contribute to reducing its environ- mental impact with H2TRUCK and its own strategy? The new development of a heavy collection truck with a hydrogen fuel cell is fully aligned with FCC Medio Ambiente Sustainability Strategy, as we have already mentioned. In this ambitious business development plan, we are committed to the pro- gressive reduction of greenhouse gases (GHG) and to reaching climate neutrality by 2050. The H2TRUCK project will allow us as a company to remain at the tech- nical forefront in the provision of en- vironmental services. What is the biggest challenge of this project? The key to the project is the deve- lopment of applied technology that allows us to meet the requirements and specifications of the collection vehicle in terms of performance, au- tonomy and features, without losing sight of the economic aspects, such as affordable energy and vehicle manufacturing costs. To this end, it is essential that all components are correctly dimensioned. Another cha- llenge will be the supply of hydrogen at the location where the vehicle is to be operated. I N T E R V I E W S U S T A I N A B I L I T Y 43 S U S T A I N A B I L I T Y