Scoring a major breakthrough in the quest for zero-emission perishable transport, four companies have collaborated for a nine-month pilot in the Netherlands, which will see diesel refrigeration systems in semi-trailers replaced by zero-emission battery-electric prototypes.
Greentech experts Maxwell and Spark (M+S), which has offices in South Africa and the Netherlands, has joined equipment service provider TIP Trailer Services, global consumer goods company Unilever, and transport company Daily Logistics Group (DLG) to pilot the technology.
“This innovation keeps freight chilled at temperatures down to -25°C and will be tested to run entirely on renewable electricity,” according to a statement from M+S. “If successful, it could save 20-25 tons of CO2 per reefer trailer annually, with air quality benefits for each vehicle equivalent to taking 70 passenger cars off the road.”
Once the full pilot has been completed, the technology could be rolled out further, providing a lower impact logistics solution.
TIP Trailer Services has more than 50 years of expertise in managing and maintaining reefer trailers, while M+S has designed and built bespoke lithium-ion battery-based systems to power a Thermo King Advancer refrigeration system in four trailers.
The Daily Logistics Group runs Unilever’s cold chain distribution network in Benelux - and for this pilot, chose and trained dedicated drivers for the new trailers.
Unilever, which owns brands including Magnum, Cornetto, Dove and Domestos, has set targets to halve the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions footprint of its products by 2030 and achieve net zero in its value chain by 2039.
The company estimates that it will need to reduce GHG emissions from its logistics by 40-50% by 2030.
The four trailers in this pilot will have a modified Thermo King reefer engine (Advancer A400) in combination with a specialised battery system from M+S (70 kilowatt-hours (kWh).
The purpose of the test is to run the reefer completely on electricity during working hours, charging the battery during inactive moments on location with a normal three-phase power connection. The reefers are being used in the most demanding applications, providing service for frozen food transport.
The system is being tested using entirely renewable electricity and will only use diesel as a contingency measure.
