Lorma Logistic successfully completed the ice cores transport for the Beyond EPICA Project

With great satisfaction, our colleagues of Lorma had the privilege of managing the transport of the precious ice cores for the Beyond EPICA project from the port of Trieste (IT) to Bremerhaven (DE). 

These ancient samples, collected from the Mario Zucchelli scientific station in Antarctica, arrived in Trieste aboard the Italian icebreaker Laura Bassi, after crossing New Zealand, the Atlantic Ocean, and finally reaching the northern shores of the Adriatic.

The ice cores, extracted from a depth of up to 2,800 meters, contain crucial information about the Earth's climatic and atmospheric history. It is estimated that they may provide valuable data dating back over 1.2 million years, marking a significant milestone for polar research and for understanding the dynamics of climate change.

The transport, covering 1,350 km entirely by road in a one-way journey, was organized and managed with the utmost precision, taking care of every technical and logistical detail.  The shipment departed from Trieste on Wednesday, April 23rd, and was successfully completed on Friday, April 25th, in Bremerhaven. To ensure the perfect preservation of the samples during the journey, three vehicles were equipped with ISO 20" C-Store containers, featuring advanced temperature control systems. The containers were further equipped with Clip-On Genset units, capable of maintaining a constant temperature of -50°C throughout the entire journey. Two of the three vehicles were prepared as backup, in case of any anomalies with the primary vehicle.

Supporting the convoy, an additional vehicle was deployed with Gianluca Bianchi Fasani, Lead Researcher from ENEA – Antarctic Technical Unit, who monitored the thermal conditions inside the containers in real-time, ensuring the maximum protection of the integrity of the samples.

The Lorma team is pleased to have contributed, albeit in a modest way, to this important project and to have played a small role in scientific research and the advancement of our understanding of climate change. The analysis of the ice cores will provide fundamental data on the evolution of Earth's temperature, the composition of the atmosphere, and the carbon cycle, offering invaluable insight into past climate changes and helping to project future scenarios.

A special thanks goes to Lorma drivers Pagnin Simone, Arenzani Roberto, and Marenzana Fabrizio, whose dedication, availability, and professionalism were essential at every stage of the transport.

To ensure the full environmental sustainability of the entire process, the vehicles, Gensets, and Clip-On units were powered exclusively by HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil), derived from renewable sources, thus significantly reducing CO₂ emissions.