The launch of the first edition of the BTS Green Cup

Affi, 11 ottobre 2021 – The bay of Garda will soon be full of sails. BTS Biogas, a technological leader in the development and construction of biogas and biomethane plants, in collaboration with the Garda section of the Italian Naval League, is launching the first edition of the BTS Green Cup. The competition, organised with the patronage of the Municipality of Garda, the Kyoto Club and the Plastic Free Association, aims to raise awareness of the importance of sustainability within the sailing world and in local communities.

On the morning of 16 October, monotype yachts, cruisers and pleasure boats will be the stars of the 14-nautical mile regatta where crews will compete in a stimulating challenge to win the first trophy dedicated to environmental sustainability. This will be followed by a 9-nautical-mile sailing race, dedicated to small crafts such as those with one mainsail and jib, typical of normal yachting, allowing amateur crews made up of families and enthusiasts to also take part. The BTS Green Cup will be coordinated by certified judges from the Italian Sailing Federation.

Through this initiative, BTS Biogas and Garda section of the Italian naval league hope to encourage sportsmen, institutions, companies and associations to reflect on the main environmental issues and raise awareness of the importance of sustainability, the plastic problem which threatens our rivers, lakes and seas and their ecosystems, and the need to do more to protect the environment. With this in mind, Plastic Free, on the day of the event, will organise a plastic and waste collection in the territory of the Municipality of Garda.

In all its activities, BTS Biogas is inspired by the principles of the United Nations Programme for Sustainable Development, which are based on the compatibility between economic development and environmental protection. BTS Biogas’s plants are an essential part of the circular economy which produce renewable energy and turn waste into a resource, returning to nature the organic material resulting from human activities such as food and agricultural waste and industrial organic by-products.

“Together with the Garda Italian Naval League, we are proud to launch the BTS Green Cup. This initiative embodies the values of sustainability and environmental protection present in the DNA of our company, which has been operating in the renewable energy sector for more than 20 years,” said Franco Lusuriello, CEO of BTS Biogas. "We believe that sailing is not simply a sport, but a life philosophy which puts nature and the environment first. We have chosen to support this sport to reinforce the message that we can all actively contribute to safeguarding the planet we live on and bequeathing it to future generations. The BTS Green Cup, therefore, is not just a sailing competition, but is the start of a journey to spread the culture of sustainability”

“The commitment to the protection of the marine environment and inland waters is one of the fundamental values of the Italian Naval League and we at Garda are always in the front line. In addition to the Robot@Garda events and our support for the SmartGardaLake project run by the Department of Computer Science at the University of Verona, we wanted to organise a great event involving all the sailing boats of the largest lake in Italy," declared Fiorenzo Fasoli, Sports Director of the Garda section of the Italian Naval League. “Sailors use an eco-sustainable propulsion system par excellence, the wind, and together with BTS we have the opportunity to spread a message about biofuels and environmental protection to those outside the sailing community”.

“If we want to achieve the European target of a 55% reduction in climate-changing emissions by 2030, we need to make environmental sustainability a priority which spreads across all areas of our lives. Thanks to BTS Biogas and the Italian Naval League, we can use the BTS Green Cup to reinforce this message in the world of sport, and sailing in particular, through the involvement of sporting associations and sportspeople of any age" said Sergio Andreis, Director of Kyoto Club.

“Plastic Free aims to educate and raise awareness of the dangers of plastic with a particular focus on single-use plastic, which kills animals as well as polluting our land,” declared Giovanna Leardini of Plastic Free. “Volunteer clean- ups taking place on beaches, in urban areas and in the countryside are some of the many initiatives we organise to involve and bring together people, institutions and companies with the goal of increasing respect for the land. We are therefore delighted to be part of the BTS Green Cup, organised by BTS Biogas, a company that has always been focused on sustainability and environmental protection”.

The BTS Green Cup is supported by the finest Italian names such as Vini Tinazzi, Bottoli, S.Martino, San Nicolò, Tonno Coalma, Allo Scudo food&drinks and POG (Garda olive producers).

BTS GREEN CUP PROGRAMME:

• 9.30 am: start of the Regatta
• 9.45 am: start of the sailing race
• 16.00: prize-giving ceremony for the BTS GREEN CUP

BTS GREEEN CUP ROUTES:

BTS Biogas is a technology leader with over 25 years global experience in the field of anaerobic digestion. The company is involved in the development, engineering, construction and maintenance of more than 250 biogas plants in Europe, North America and East Asia. By retrieving organic waste from local authorities, food and agricultural companies, BTS Biogas plants are designed to generate a steady stream of renewable energy, biogas and biomethane, as well as soil amendment and fertilisers. Thanks to its industry-leading aerobic digestion technology, BTS Biogas is contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide and assisting local communities in the effective energy transition to a circular economy.