Subscribe

Tag: sustainability

eTrailers a “game changer” for decarbonising long hauls

Posted on by Keith McKinley

DB Schenker has signed a cooperation agreement with Trailer Dynamics and the Krone Commercial Vehicle Group on the use of eTrailers in European land transport.

“This agreement marks a further step in the electrification of land transport,” says Cyrille Bonjean Executive Vice President Land Transport for DB Schenker in Europe. “It is essential for us to look for new sustainable solutions that can be integrated into our daily business. With the eTrailer from Trailer Dynamics, we have obtained another promising model for the future.”

Wolfgang Janda, Executive Vice President, Head of Network & Linehaul Management, DB Schenker, adds: “The use of eTrailers enables early entry into the phased transition to a completely CO2-free fleet. In our view, electric trailers do not represent a transitional technology but will instead be a firm component of our commercial vehicle fleet over the long term. This marks yet another step in our efforts to reduce our environmental footprint and become net-zero by 2040.”

Michael Nimtsch, Managing Director at Trailer Dynamics, says: “The vision of Trailer Dynamics is to use eTrailers to make an important contribution to the decarbonisation of the economy and sustainable and environmentally friendly logistics for long-haul trucks. With our cooperation partner DB Schenker, we are taking the next important step toward transforming this vision into reality.”

“Electrification, digitalisation, automation, and decarbonisation are the strategic goals that Krone will achieve with its innovative products – and especially the eTrailer,” adds Dr. Stefan Binnewies, CEO of Krone Holding. “We are therefore very pleased that we not only share these goals with our long-standing customer DB Schenker; we are also jointly making them a reality with this eTrailer project.”

The use of eTrailers makes trucks more sustainable and lowers their CO2 emissions.

The electrified trailers of Trailer Dynamics have an electric drive train that makes it possible to support the drive of the tractor unit. A specially developed component uses a patented sensor system to determine the driving dynamics of the tractor-trailer combination and then readjusts the eTrailer so that the eTrailer supports the tractor unit. The tractor unit cannot be overridden at any time, however. The electric drive train also allows energy to be recovered during braking.

The eTrailer’s drive control system operates independently, so no interface with the tractor is necessary. In addition, the trailers can be combined and used with tractor units from all manufacturers. The eTrailers support diesel, gas, electric, and hydrogen-powered tractors.

The trailers can be equipped with 300kWh, 450kWh, or 600kWh batteries as required. This can extend the range of electric tractors by up to 500km, depending on the use case, and also significantly reduce the fuel consumption of conventional diesel tractors. CO2 emissions can thus be reduced by 20%-40%.

The logistics provider will successively roll out these 2,000 eTrailers across its European network starting in 2024.

Forto partnership expands biofuels offering

Posted on by David Priestman

Forto has formed a new partnership with GoodShipping as part of its growing biofuel programme. Forto can now offer the inset of advanced biofuel for its bookings for full container load (FCL) sea freight shipments using GoodShipping’s decarbonisation services, further expanding the accessibility of alternative fuel options for Forto customers.

The new partnership with GoodShipping highlights the next milestone in Forto’s sustainability offering, following the recent launch of its biofuel programme.

With a focus on carbon insetting, GoodShipping helps to reduce the scope 3 emissions of companies’ supply chains by facilitating a fuel switch to biofuel for a company’s freight shipments.  Biofuel alternatives are provided by marine biofuels pioneer GoodFuels, a sister company to GoodShipping.

GoodFuels is a global market leader in biofuels made from certified waste and residual flows that can be used directly for heavy transport. The fuel meets the highest sustainability standards. This includes used cooking oil and waste from animal fats that cannot be recycled in a higher-quality manner.

Use of biofuels lead to a significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions of a transport without requiring changes to a shipper’s own operations. Net-zero transport impact, effectively reducing 100% of the greenhouse gas emissions, is achieved through an overallocation of biofuels as part of the booking. The process includes certification of the emissions reduction impact, which is audited by an independent third party.

Through the partnership, Forto offers GoodShipping’s decarbonisation services for its customers. The company’s infrastructure allows it to make biofuel available to customers supporting a variety of shipping volumes, locations, trade routes and cargo contracts. Its multiple carrier partners and wide offering will extend Forto’s current biofuel programme.

Michael Wax, CEO and Co-Founder of Forto: “Enabling real change to reduce the environmental impact of the logistics industry is key to us at Forto. Our ultimate goal is to help customers make the sustainable transport option their default choice – and ensuring our biofuel programme is as accessible as possible to our customers and their differing needs is a key driver of this.

“GoodShipping is an innovator in the market, with a broad, dedicated partner network and this partnership will enable us to expand our current offering. This is an important next step in our green ambitions, and we’re delighted to be working closely with a business that has such expertise in this space.”

Dirk Kronemeijer, CEO of Good Shipping: “We’re very proud to have Forto as our partner. By joining forces, we are able to offer sustainable transport to all Forto’s clients, taking the next big step towards reaching our shared green ambitions.”

The Forto range of sustainability solutions starts by providing customers with emissions visibility and information that empowers them to make impactful, data-based decisions. Forto also offers CO₂e emission offsets for all modes of transport and beyond the biofuels programme, German-based Rail Pre- and On-Carriage intermodal volumes are transported with a focus on using trains powered by renewable energy. Forto teams work strategically with partners, customers and other stakeholders to explore sustainability options and find solutions that fit their needs.

First Hydrogen vans receive certification

Posted on by Keith McKinley

First Hydrogen, an automotive and energy developer, has announced that its first zero emission light commercial vehicles (LCVs) have been certified legal on British roads by the Vehicle Certification Authority.

The vehicles will now be able to undertake customer trials on public roads commencing January 2023 for a period of 24 months, during which the company expects to collect significant proprietary data from fleet owners and to capture high-level interest for future orders. The vans will be trialled in real-world conditions with major fleet operators initially in the UK and enable First Hydrogen to publicly showcase its leading design and accelerate the adoption by light commercial vehicle owners of fuel cell-powered vehicles to replace ageing diesel fleets. A total of 13 UK fleet operators in various industries including telecoms, utilities, infrastructure, delivery, grocery and healthcare have signed up to participate in the trials.

These two demonstrator vehicles will showcase the advantages fuel cell electric vehicles have over battery electric vehicles in terms of range and refuelling speed. First Hydrogen vehicles offer 400-600km of range on a single refuelling, which takes a matter of minutes. The certification is a significant milestone for the company and will help with further approvals required as First Hydrogen scales up its vehicle demonstrator programme to trial the vehicles in the European Union, United States and Canada. The global light commercial vehicle market is projected to reach $786.5bn by 2030 and First Hydrogen’s vehicles will help the sector meet zero emission targets.

First Hydrogen is also working in parallel to arrange green hydrogen generation and distribution under its “Hydrogen as a Service” or HaaS program to provide a holistic solution to the market. First Hydrogen’s plans are underway in the UK, Europe, and North America to provide this solution.

Steve Gill, CEO of Automotive for First Hydrogen, says: “This is an important step which validates our engineering and technical expertise. The whole team has worked hard to deliver this certification and we can now move forward with the important customer trials commencing in early 2023.”

Balraj Mann, Chairman and CEO of First Hydrogen Corp., states: “We are proud of our Automotive team and their recent accomplishments. I am excited about the groundwork laid by the whole team and, as we move forward, executing our business plan in the coming months. Green hydrogen is becoming a clean alternative answer to fossil fuels.”

CargoBeamer starts Rostock-Kaldenkirchen service

Posted on by Keith McKinley

CargoBeamer, the operator of rail connections for non-craneable semi-trailers in Europe, is expanding its network. Since October, the Kaldenkirchen-Rostock route adds to the portfolio as the first line operating exclusively in Germany. On a total of six round-trips per week, CargoBeamer enables the transport of craneable and non-craneable semi-trailers as well as P400, refrigerated, silo, and container units by train.

On average, the transit time between Kaldenkirchen and Rostock is 18 hours. Per transported unit, 64% of CO2 emissions are saved compared to road transport, with the remaining 36% being compensated by CO2 certificates, enabling CargoBeamer to operate the line entirely carbon neutral. HSL Logistik GmbH serves as the traction partner.

Connections to Scandinavia and Southern Europe

The line runs between the rail terminal in Kaldenkirchen and the port of Rostock. From the latter, there are connections by ferry to various locations in Denmark, Finland, Lithuania, and Sweden, with semi-trailers also transported without the accompaniment of a driver or tractor unit. In a southerly direction, CargoBeamer offers gateway connections via Kaldenkirchen to Perpignan in southern France and Domodossola in northern Italy.

Boris Timm, Chief Operating Officer of CargoBeamer, says: “The addition of Kaldenkirchen-Rostock is the first step in our plans to expand CargoBeamers’ network with numerous new lines by the end of 2023. With unaccompanied long-distance transport from the Baltic Sea via western Germany to Italy or the French-Spanish border, we are creating a new, attractive offer for our customers.

“On the historically strong axis from the Iberian Peninsula via Central Europe to Scandinavia, this will provide a new opportunity to shift from road to rail, which will realise further CO2 savings.”

Sustainable home delivery is a win-win

Posted on by David Priestman

Focusing on sustainable home delivery will generate greater sales and more profitable operations, explains Chris Jones, EVP, Descartes.

Two seemingly conflicting trends are coming together that, if addressed correctly, could provide retailers with a competitive advantage and make them more profitable. First, consumers are increasingly concerned about the environment and are more willing than ever to act to protect it. Second, the pandemic kicked online buying and home delivery into “high gear” as many consumers embraced its convenience and dramatically expanded the scope of their online purchasing.

So, how can these two trends be mutually beneficial? Isn’t home delivery supposed to be the antithesis of sustainability? Since neither trend is going away, harnessing both represents an excellent opportunity for retailers to improve their competitive position and profitability while helping the environment.

That’s exactly what the recent study “Retailers: Sustainability is Not a Challenge, It’s an Opportunity” concluded. Conducted by Descartes and SAPIO Research, the study surveyed over 8,000 consumers in Europe and North America for their perspectives on retailers’ sustainability practices around delivery operations. Here are five points that paint a compelling picture of why retailers need to adjust their delivery practices to take advantage of consumer environmental concerns.

Consumers are making purchasing decisions based upon environmental impact. The study found that overall, 39% of consumers do consider the environmental impact of a product and company when making purchasing decisions. This number rises to 42% for respondents aged 25 – 34. Interestingly, only 11% said they never made a purchasing decision based upon the environment.

There’s plenty of room to differentiate with sustainable delivery. The study found that only 38% of consumers thought retailers were doing a good job of using sustainable delivery practices. This means that consumers are paying attention to retailer delivery practices and many retailers are not performing well in this area. In the case of grocery and apparel purchases, 40% and 39% respectively said that they would buy more from those retailers whose delivery practices were more sustainable than the competition.

Consumers want sustainable delivery options. Half (50%) of the respondents were quite/very interested in environmentally friendly delivery options. Even more (54%) said that they would be willing to accept longer lead times for environmentally friendly deliveries.

Consumers are more flexible than retailers think. Half (50%) of the respondents thought the ability to combine orders was quite/very important. Almost half (48%) said that they were quite/very interested in having retailers recommend the most environmentally friendly delivery option. In fact, three of the top four options involved combining orders or having the retailer select the most sustainable delivery option.

Sustainable home delivery options result in lower costs to the retailer. Options from increasing lead times to grouping orders to providing eco-friendly time windows help retailers lower both their carbon footprint and their delivery costs. Longer lead times decrease delivery costs through better delivery planning and mode selection. Order consolidation means fewer trips to the customer and higher delivery density. Eco-friendly deliveries also create greater delivery density, which reduces distance per delivery. These concepts apply to multiple delivery modes including private/dedicated fleet, LTL and parcel.

Instead of thinking that sustainable home delivery is a challenge, retailers need to see it for the opportunity it presents. It is clear that consumers are increasingly interested in more sustainable home delivery. These trends are an opportunity to create a win-win-win situation. Sustainable home delivery makes consumers happier and more loyal, lowers delivery costs and helps the environment. Not every consumer will care, but the numbers are significant enough to easily justify offering sustainable delivery options. Better for the environment is better for your business. What are your sustainable delivery strategies?

CLICK HERE to read the report “Retailers: Sustainability is Not a Challenge, It’s an Opportunity”

DX launches £750k electric vehicle programme with IKEA

Posted on by David Priestman

DX, the provider of delivery solutions, including parcel freight, secure courier and logistics services, has launched a three-year project to acquire a fleet of electric vehicles for use in its delivery and logistics partnership with IKEA.

The Company has recently invested £750,000 – with further investment planned over the next three years – to establish an initial fleet of over 60 electric vehicles for IKEA’s home-delivery services. The first phase, launched in August 2022, is an initial 12 electric vans operating from DX depots in Southampton and Warrington.

The new fleet comprises the award-winning Maxus e-Deliver 9 marque vans, which have an operational carrying capacity of 1,162kg and a single-charge range of over 219 miles, with zero output emissions. The vehicles are dual-liveried with DX and IKEA branding.

IKEA has been a customer of DX 2-Man and Logistics for over seven years, with DX providing delivery and logistics services to support IKEA’s online and retail operations. DX is IKEA’s largest provider of 2-Man home delivery services in the UK. The project marks the continuing evolution of this successful partnership.

Paul Ibbetson, Managing Director of DX Freight, commented: “We are very pleased to have launched our first fleet of electric vehicles for IKEA. Over the next three years we will be building on this to provide IKEA with continued, first-class delivery and logistics services that are more environmentally friendly.”

John Welsh, Fulfilment Sourcing Manager at IKEA UK & Ireland, commented: “DX is the largest provider of 2-person home delivery services for IKEA in the UK and we are excited to have their first electric vans with zero-output emissions on the road for us and our customers. IKEA’s goal of reaching 100% Zero Emission last mile deliveries by 2025 will be achieved through working together with those who share our vision, and I am delighted that DX have already been fundamental in delivering some of the first milestones in our journey.”

Sustainability report marks Prologis’ partnership with Planet Mark

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Prologis UK, a leading owner and developer of logistics property, is celebrating a successful 15-year partnership with Planet Mark, a sustainability certification body serving organisations across industry sectors, which has seen the company significantly reduce its carbon impact.

In 2022, Prologis announced a goal, which will be submitted to the Science Based Targets Initiative for validation, to achieve net zero emissions by 2040. This is consistent with the company’s longstanding focus on ESG. Over the past 15 years, Prologis UK, with Planet Mark, has put sustainability firmly at the forefront of its development activities; embedding it into the design and construction process from start to finish.

An example of such initiatives is the work Planet Mark undertake with Prologis UK to engage the full construction supply chain, including all contractors, to ensure end-to-end visibility of carbon emissions, thereby identifying opportunities for reductions.

To mark the 15-year partnership, Prologis UK and Planet Mark have published a joint report about Prologis UK’s industry-leading approach ton reducing and mitigating carbon emissions, along with some facts and figures about its sustainability achievements.

A key finding of the report is that based on 74 projects, spanning more than 19 million sq ft of development over a 15-year time period, Prologis UK has achieved a reduction in carbon emissions of 476,819 tCO2e. This represents an average reduction in whole-life carbon emissions of 25%.

Simon Cox, Head of Development Management at Prologis UK, said: “This has been a ground-breaking programme, implemented at a time when the measurement, reduction and mitigation of carbon emissions was new to the real estate sector. Through our work with Planet Mark, we have gained invaluable experience and expertise, which will enable us to better serve our customers as we pursue of our newly published 2040 net zero goals.”

Steve Malkin, CEO Planet Mark, said: “Over the past 15 years our work with Prologis UK has put sustainability firmly at the forefront of their developments. By striving to reduce embodied carbon in every building, engaging with communities and their supply chain, and mitigating unavoidable emissions by protecting endangered rainforest, they have stretched way beyond compliance to set a new standard for best practice. We recognise that net zero is imperative and definitions are rapidly evolving alongside innovation, and we look forward to embracing this evolution together.”

The whole-life carbon emissions of each project are measured using a Lifecycle Carbon Assessment (LCA), which follows recognised standards (BS EN 15978:2011) and methodologies, including the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors’ Whole Life Carbon Method, 2017. As it is impossible to eliminate all embodied carbon emissions when constructing new buildings, Prologis UK and Planet Mark also created a bespoke carbon mitigation scheme.

While it was put in place several years earlier, the approach to carbon emissions reduction, elimination and mitigation employed by Prologis UK and Planet Mark aligns closely with the UK Green Building Council’s recently published framework definition for net-zero buildings.

Prologis UK’s innovative carbon mitigation scheme has proved particularly successful in mitigating unavoidable carbon emissions through investment in large-scale rainforest protection programmes to avoid deforestation and lock-in carbon. These activities have been implemented in partnership with the global climate change charity, Cool Earth. The report quantifies the positive impact this scheme has had over the past 15 years; mitigating total embodied carbon emissions of 879,158 tCO2e  through the protection of 17,683 acres of ‘at risk’ rainforest. This has prevented the loss of 4.1 million trees to deforestation, which would have resulted in potential emissions impact of 4.8 million tCO2e.

The whole-life carbon emissions of a typical distribution centre are typically 30% operational and 70% embodied. Operational emissions can be reduced through energy efficient design and onsite renewables. Although embodied carbon can be reduced through careful material selection and detailing it can never be entirely eliminated. The sustainability model put in place by Prologis UK and Planet Mark has been successful in mitigating – 100% of the unavoidable, embodied carbon emissions for all 74 projects assessed.

The report highlights the importance of stakeholder engagement and quantifies the social impact of the 74 projects surveyed. There is a community engagement programme in place for each of the projects assessed. This has included sustainability workshops through which  for 63 local primary schools and 68 schools and colleges have achieved Planet Mark certification.

CLICK HERE to view the report jointly produced by Prologis UK and Planet Mark.

Peli BioThermal launches cold chain shipping solution

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Peli BioThermal, the life science industry’s partner from discovery to distribution, has revealed its newest reusable, flexible temperature controlled shipping solution. Crēdo Go is designed to adapt to unique customer programmes, as well as to help pharmaceutical companies reach environmental, social and governance goals, cost reduction targets and operational performance indicators.

“The number of commercially approved pharmaceutical products that require strict temperature control is growing rapidly. And we understand that discovery, clinical trials and commercialisation require different solutions,” said Phil Gyori, CEO of Pelican Products, Inc. parent company of Peli BioThermal. “Crēdo Go brings together Peli BioThermal’s long-trusted technology and modern design innovation to improve payload protection, increase component longevity and minimise a programme’s carbon footprint.”

Peli BioThermal’s newest shipping solution combines customer collaboration and data-driven optimisation to propose a portfolio of shipper options that meet unique business and programme requirements. Each shipper is supplied with 2-, 4- or 6-TIC configurations to dial thermal duration up or down and switch between open and tight temperature control to meet typical and complex shipping lane profiles.

New box build automation technology offers increased throughput and capacity potential with greatly reduced lead times for new shipper configurations while a simple, repeatable and accurate pack-out process reduces packing time, increases daily throughput and minimises assembly error. Additionally, TIC BridgeGuard technology distributes the phase change material coolant to where it is most needed to reduce the impact of thermal bridging without sacrificing payload space or increasing chargeable shipper weight.

Crēdo Go users begin their product journey by working with a dedicated product specialist to identify opportunities for improvement and cost reduction by collecting customer-specific data points to input into Peli BioThermal’s Trufit optimisation software. This analysis tool utilises customer data to build an optimal solution portfolio that meets the needs, goals and performance metrics of any programme. Once a programme is up and running, Crēdo ProEnvision software provides order, shipment and maintenance support to measure and continually improve programme performance.

Crēdo Go reusable shippers accommodate payload sizes from 2.5 litres to 83 litres and temperature ranges from frozen to controlled room temperature. Shipping durations span 24 – 120+ hours. All sizes are available through Peli BioThermal’s Crēdo on Reserve rental programme, which provides an easy-to-follow process for return to the organisation’s high-volume service centres, where the majority of the shipper is reused and the rest is recycled.

 

Eurotunnel launches online emissions calculator for freight

Posted on by David Priestman

Eurotunnel Le Shuttle Freight, recently revealed as the most convenient and least emissive way to transport trucks between the UK and Europe, has launched a new online emissions calculator to enable logistics companies to calculate their CO2 savings.

The ability to create a bespoke calculation comes at a time when there is growing pressure on logistics and haulage companies to reduce their environmental impact. With a truck travelling on a Shuttle emitting 12 times less greenhouse gases than travel by ferry, Eurotunnel Le Shuttle Freight is eager to help its clients further reduce environmental impact per load.

Once determined, each company will be able to publish their results on a tailored certificate which will declare how many tonnes of CO2 customers emit and, most importantly, save by using its services and benefitting from the short strait crossing, across a set time period of up to a year. One benefit is that companies can flexibly calculate their CO2 usage for specific loads via an online calculator, allowing them to demonstrate their commitment when tendering for new business or renewing contracts. Not only is Eurotunnel Le Shuttle Freight helping their customers reach sustainability goals, we are going one step further by also supporting our customers’ wider business goals.

Eurotunnel Le Shuttle Freight says it prides itself on its sustainability ambitions with an ultimate target of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 and already succeeding in reducing emissions by 33% between 2012 and 2019. To support this impressive target, Eurotunnel Le Shuttle Freight has already introduced fully electric trains with 100% low carbon electricity in both the UK and France.

Christian Dufermont, Freight Commercial Director at Eurotunnel Le Shuttle Freight, said: “As a vital transport link between the UK and continental Europe, we recognise the importance of helping our customers become as sustainable as possible. With the increasing pressure on the logistics industry to reduce their CO2 output, we are hoping our emissions certificate will enable freighters to better monitor their environmental impact and to help reduce it even further by using more sustainable means of crossing the Channel.”

 

FPT Industrial’s journey to net zero carbon

Posted on by David Priestman

FPT Industrial is showcasing this week its multi-energy approach to sustainable on-road propulsion at IAA Transportation in Hannover (Germany), the world’s leading transportation industry trade show.

As a major producer of propulsion systems, FPT Industrial will take this momentous chance to demonstrate the role it can play in one of the greatest challenges of our times: the transition from a carbon-based economy to a fully sustainable and carbon-neutral economy.

A host of exciting world premieres both in the internal combustion engines and ePowertrain sector, complemented by practical and accessible solutions ensuring the continuity of current key transportation business, await visitors at FPT Industrial’s exhibition booth in Hall 21 – stand 34.

The Brand plans unveiling three products at its booth. The first is a new multi-fuel engine for the heavy-duty range, a world-wide premiere, which represents the materialization of the Brand Cursor X engine concept. In addition to that, a new generation of eAxles for medium and heavy-duty applications and a new modular battery pack for buses will be presented.

similar news

Full Electric Large Refrigerated Van on Show at IAA Hannover

 

 

 

Subscribe

Get notified about New Episodes of our Podcast, New Magazine Issues and stay updated with our Weekly Newsletter.