environment Archives

The Environmental Impact of Freezing Goods at -15°C

Posted on 11 June, 2024 by Will Priestman

At the Multimodal 2024 conference, Dirk Hoffmann from DP World highlighted an innovative approach to reducing carbon emissions within the logistics and supply chain sector: freezing goods at -15 degrees Celsius instead of the industry standard of -18 degrees Celsius. This seemingly minor adjustment could yield significant environmental benefits, akin to removing millions of cars from the road. Echoing this sentiment, David Brown, Director at MAERSK, stated, “We need to get to net zero, and this is an easy way to help get us there.”

The Environmental Impact of Freezing Goods at -15 Degrees

Energy Consumption and Emissions

Freezing goods at -18 degrees Celsius requires substantial energy. Lowering this temperature to -15 degrees Celsius reduces the energy needed for refrigeration. Refrigeration accounts for a significant portion of energy consumption in the food supply chain, and decreasing the temperature difference by just three degrees can lead to notable energy savings. According to Hoffmann, these savings are substantial enough to be compared to the environmental impact of removing millions of cars from the road.

Quantifying the Impact

While Hoffmann did not specify exact figures at the conference, the comparison to car emissions is compelling. The transportation sector is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, with millions of cars emitting significant amounts of CO2 annually. By reducing the energy needed for refrigeration, the supply chain can significantly cut its carbon footprint. This change is not just about reducing electricity use but also about lowering the demand for fossil fuels used to generate this electricity.

The Technical Feasibility and Industry Implications

Product Quality and Safety

A primary concern when altering freezing temperatures is maintaining product quality and safety. However, studies and industry experience indicate that many frozen goods, particularly non-perishable items like vegetables, processed foods, and certain meats, can be safely stored at -15 degrees without compromising quality or safety. Adjusting the freezing temperature requires careful monitoring and possibly slight modifications in packaging and handling processes to ensure product integrity.

Cost Savings

Besides environmental benefits, there are economic incentives for businesses. Lower energy consumption translates to lower operational costs. This change can result in significant cost savings across the supply chain, from producers to retailers. Reduced refrigeration costs can also potentially lower prices for consumers, creating a ripple effect of economic benefits.

Broader Implications and Adoption

Industry Adoption

Widespread adoption of this practice would require a coordinated effort across the supply chain. Stakeholders, including food producers, logistics providers, and retailers, would need to align on standards and best practices. Educational initiatives and pilot programs could help demonstrate the feasibility and benefits of this approach.

Policy and Regulation

Governments and regulatory bodies could play a crucial role in facilitating this transition. By setting guidelines and providing incentives for reducing energy consumption in food storage, policymakers can accelerate the adoption of lower freezing temperatures.

Read Similar:

Temperature-Controlled Trailer Unit Reduces Fuel Consumption

QleanAir cleans the air at Swedish warehouse

Posted on 1 September, 2022 by Keith McKinley

Health wholesaler Life Logistics constantly works to improve the working environment in its warehouse, and has been using air cleaners for a long time. It has now upgraded to QleanAir’s new FS 90 models because they are mobile, take up less space and make less noise.

Life Logistics is Sweden’s largest wholesaler within health products and supplies resellers with one of the Nordic countries’ broadest assortments. Life Logistics is responsible for the supply of goods to Life’s many stores and its e-commerce customers, but also to independent stores.

Within the Life Group, people are passionate about helping customers stay healthy naturally. It also protect its employees’ health by systematically improving the working environment when it comes to ventilation, air quality, noise, ergonomics, etc. At the warehouse, large amounts of corrugated board are handled during unpacking and packing, which generates a lot of troublesome dust. Therefore, ceiling-mounted air cleaners have long been used to improve the working environment for employees. In connection with a rebuild, they had to dismantle the air cleaners, and took the opportunity to expose their supplier at the time to competition.

QleanAir won the tender with two floor-standing QleanAir FS 90 units because they are mobile and easy to place close to the source. They are also smaller in size than the predecessor, about half the size, and quieter. Despite the difference in size and the fact that there are only two air cleaners compared to the previous three, the air quality is the same or even better.

“We prefer QleanAir’s air cleaners because they are more mobile, quieter and smaller,” says Conny Löwenmark, operations manager at Life Logistics.

Before the new units were delivered, the warehouse was without an air cleaner for two months. This made it harder to breathe and the warehouse became so dirty it had to be cleaned all the time. Now weekly cleaning is sufficient and the air quality is good.

“It is very easy to work with QleanAir. We have a service agreement which means that a service technician from QleanAir changes the filters and checks the air a couple of times a year,” concludes Löwenmark. “Otherwise, we don’t notice the air cleaners.”

Life Logistics continues to work with the working environment. In the next step, focus will be on the noise levels in the warehouse. All so that the employees have the best workplace possible.

K Group on the road with fully electric chilled deliveries

Posted on 23 April, 202129 July, 2025 by Keith McKinley

Thermo King, a leader in transport temperature control solutions, has worked with K Group to test successfully the electric E-200 refrigeration unit paired with the electric-powered MAN eTGE van in its food delivery operations in Finland.

K Group is the third-biggest retail operator in Northern Europe, with over 1500 grocery stores in Finland under the Kesko Food brands: K-food, K-Citymarket, K-Supermarket and K-Market.

K Group has been piloting the use of fully electric trucks and vans as part of its efforts to reduce emissions and achieve carbon neutrality by 2025. For its last-mile grocery delivery operations, it chose the new electric-powered MAN eTGE and equipped it with the E-200 multi-temperature refrigeration unit from Thermo King.

“In an urban environment, the zero-emissions and quiet operations offered by electrified transport deliveries are particularly looked forward to by the residents,” said Eneko Fernandez, product leader at Thermo King. “We are proud of working closely with retailers as the K Group and helping them make sustainable all-day and nighttime deliveries a reality. Electric-powered delivery vans like MAN eTGE, coupled with the E-200 confidently meet current and future sustainability targets throughout the cold chain and allow customers to operate in areas with the lowest Urban Access Requirements (UVARs).”

“We have a long history with Thermo King units and we could always count on close support and cooperation from their dealer, VTA Tekniikka,” said Vesa Ylikotila, fleet manager at Kesko Logistics. “With this project, we wanted to test the electric MAN eTGE in daily operations and gain real-life user feedback from these trials. We chose Thermo King’s E-200 unit to refrigerate the van as we were looking for a quiet, sustainable delivery solution – fully powered by electricity. Months of operation proved we made the right choice.”

The E-200 units, being inverter driven, unlike typical direct drive solutions designed for diesel combustion engines, deliver constant capacity and can seamlessly work with electric-powered vehicles like the MAN eTGE. The units feature patented power management that contributes to lower energy consumption, increased vehicle autonomy and higher efficiency and reliability.

“When preparing the test van for the K Group we were looking at various options, but Thermo King and VTA Tekniikka were the only ones that could offer the most complete solution,” said Timo Puustinen, product manager at MAN Finland. “The Thermo King E-200 unit can work without separate battery packs, which lowers the costs and increases overall usability. It allows K Group to benefit from maximum load capacity of the vehicle. During the tests, the range of the vehicle remained in line with our requirements and proved that the eTGE and E-200 are a very good combination.”

Samskip drives forward with commitment to sustainable marine biofuels

Posted on 22 April, 2021 by Keith McKinley

Global multimodal logistics company Samskip has increased its commitment to greener shipping through a new formal agreement with sustainable cargo initiative GoodShipping to run part of its fleet on marine biofuels and significantly reduce carbon footprint.

The initial usage of biofuels will enable a CO2-reduction of up to 45%, with plans to scale up to a CO2-reduction of up to 80% for any given voyage later in 2021. This initiative underlines the company’s longstanding dedication to take a leading role in reducing CO2 emission within the sea freight industry.

The Samskip Endeavour, an 800TEU capacity containership which normally runs on traditional fuels, had the honour to kick-off the partnership by using sustainable biofuels in its recent sailings. By bunkering sustainable biofuels, Samskip enables cargo owners to reduce their ocean carbon footprint significantly in their supply chains.

Two years ago, it was also the Samskip Endeavour that was the first ever vessel to be biofuel-bunkered through the GoodShipping initiative, demonstrating the viability of biofuels as a marine alternative to fossil fuels. Made from sustainable waste streams, the fossil-free bio-residual fuel equivalent product has proved to be a successful substitute for conventional marine fuels as part of the vessel’s operations between the Netherlands and Ireland.

Under the renewed agreement, also in partnership with GoodShipping, biofuels supplier GoodFuels is supporting Samskip’s plan to rapidly extend the use of biofuels on more of its vessels this year. GoodFuels’ second-generation sustainable biofuels consist of certified feedstock, labelled as waste or residue. There are no land-use issues, no competition with food production or deforestation during the production process.

“Sustainability runs through Samskip as a core value from every perspective. Therefore, we take great pride in and welcome the collaboration with GoodShipping to strengthen our deep partnership, becoming one of their fulfilment and innovation partners,” says Ásbjörn Gíslason, CCO and Deputy CEO at Samskip.

“We always aim to build a better future and to leave a positive footprint on our planet. By playing a forward-thinking and pioneering role in the energy transition, our customers can now benefit from a simple and easy means of decarbonising their cargo streams. We get to pioneer advanced marine biofuels, and the environment benefits from an immediate carbon reduction.”

“This announcement marks yet another important milestone in our journey beyond the fossil default,” says Katarin van Orshaegen, Commercial Lead at GoodShipping. “Reducing fuel emissions and consumption is a vital next step for the maritime transport industry, so we are extremely pleased to have found a stable fulfilment outlet for our sustainable cargo streams with Samskip, deepening a long-term partnership that is helping to change the way our market thinks about future fuels.”

Menzies makes carbon-neutral commitment

Posted on 20 April, 2021 by Keith McKinley

Global aviation logistics specialist Menzies Aviation has committed to make 100% of its operations carbon neutral by the company’s 200-year anniversary in 2033. Menzies believes it is the first aviation services company to make this ground-breaking commitment to carbon neutrality.

Menzies Aviation will formalise the commitment by becoming a signatory to the UN Global Compact in 2021, which supports the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In order to reach carbon neutrality Menzies will focus on investing in electric ground support equipment (GSE), reducing emissions through identifying operational efficiencies and balancing remaining emissions with carbon offsetting initiatives.

The transition to electric and lower-emission GSE is particularly critical to reducing carbon footprint and supporting customers’ sustainability ambitions, and in 2020 Menzies made significant progress in upgrading equipment as part of new contracts.

At Gothenburg and Stockholm airports a new contract with Qatar Airways enabled Menzies to invest in three new electric baggage tractors and two new electric aircraft loaders, as well as an electric towbarless tractor in Stockholm.

In South Africa, a new contract with Mango Airlines saw the Group purchase 15 new electric belt loaders and 12 new electric baggage tractors across three airports in South Africa – Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. In North America, Menzies replaced and retired older, less efficient GSE across four locations and will continue to do so across the region.

Alongside investment in new equipment, Menzies will support teams with implementing processes to make zero fuel spills a daily target throughout the business as well as local initiatives to reduce energy use and lessen environmental impacts. Efforts to enhance the sustainability of operations will complement Menzies’ broader ESG programme which promotes responsible business, from legal and ethical compliance, to employee engagement and development and supporting the local communities in which Menzies operates.

Philipp Joeinig, CEO & Chairman of Menzies Aviation said: “Menzies is a business that has constantly adapted and what better way to mark our 200-year anniversary in 2033 than to celebrate our next era of environmental sustainability by achieving carbon neutrality.

“As flight volumes recover we see an opportunity to rebuild the aviation industry to be more sustainable, and we will be taking advantage of this to promote greener operations across our entire business. With our Sustainability Strategy and Programme now in place, we have clearly defined targets and supporting action plans to help realise them, however it is critical that we build relationships across the aviation ecosystem, from trade bodies to suppliers, to ensure that we can collectively remove barriers to green innovation and adoption.”

LSP Awarded a CDP B Rating for Effective Climate Action

Posted on 27 January, 20217 August, 2025 by David Priestman

GEFCO has enthusiastically responded to the CDP questionnaire, which provides a framework for companies to provide information on their climate action performance, including governance and policy, risks and opportunity management, environmental targets and strategy, and scenario analysis. GEFCO progressed in several of the CDP’s 14 categories and achieved a higher score than the industry average.

In particular, GEFCO advanced in the business strategy category, as highlighted by the launch of its Operations Excellence and Sustainability Department (OES) in 2020. The Group was also recognized for its tangible improvements in emissions reduction initiatives through its commitment to 2% CO2 avoidance. These initiatives include testing natural gas trucks in several European countries and using mega trucks in Spain for larger loads and greater efficiency. Moreover, GEFCO gained traction in value chain emissions management by working proactively with suppliers to reduce its environmental impact. The company also improved its disclosure of risks and governance.

“It’s extremely motivating to be recognized for our progress in several key categories and to receive insights on where we can strengthen our commitments,” commented Anne-Brigitte Spitzbarth, Vice President of Operations Excellence and Sustainability (OES). “We’ve also recruited Aldo Diaz-Sanchez, a carbon strategy expert, to help us define and accelerate a robust carbon reduction strategy starting in 2021. Our continued participation in the CDP carbon disclosure system offers us a tremendous opportunity to learn, benchmark and identify areas where we can make a difference to our employees, partners and customer in our environmental journey.”

Financial Benefits for Pay as You Save Lighting Solution

Posted on 20 October, 2020 by Keith McKinley

Many businesses remain unaware that they are wasting thousands of pounds a year on their energy bills. Cost is often a huge obstacle for upgrading lighting systems and many warehouse managers don’t prioritise lighting or consider a Pay as You Save scheme, while their existing lighting is working.

LED lighting company EcolightingUK offers a Pay as You Save scheme to help companies save on their energy bills. They offer businesses a solution which enables them to install a new LED lighting system with zero capital outlay. There are zero maintenance costs and a cash positive outcome from the first month after installation.

The Pay and You Save scheme is ideal for all types of applications including factories, warehouses and exterior lighting. It is also beneficial for offices, retail, hotels and education.

LED lighting can provide a contribution towards the fulfilment of long-term environmental business objectives. Lower energy consumption means a reduced carbon footprint and less impact on the environment.

Aside from the financial and environmental factors, an instant benefit of LED lighting is the quality. Lighter and brighter working environments improves visibility and enhances workplace safety. EcolightingUK have reported staff to be delighted with the improvements made to their working environments.

Introducing LED lighting can allow companies more than 70% energy costs. EcolightingUK offers more in-depth calculations on example savings. The company also works with a central grant finding body which researches county council grants available across the country for assisting SMEs with carbon reduction.