Italian energy company Eni announced it opened the first liquefied natural gas fueling station in Italy to service heavy-duty vehicles.

The fueling station, located in the northern Italian city of Piacenza, is the first in a series Eni says it plans to open in the country during the next four years.

"Eni is an active participant of the European 'LNG Blue Corridors' project, which is focused on the construction of environmentally friendly fueling stations along four major European trade routes, which cross the continent from north to south," the company said in a statement Tuesday.

Eni touts LNG as an "interesting" fuel source for the heavy-duty vehicle market because it takes up less space than the gaseous form and is easier to store.

LNG has gained traction against natural gas because of it relies less on pipelines that may cross geopolitically sensitive territory for delivery.

"There are a number of onshore terminals in use throughout Europe to fuel cryogenic tankers, notably in Belgium and in Spain," Eni said. "Spain is the region's largest exporter of LNG."