Vion pilots emission-free trailers
It is trialling cooling trailers with electrically driven motors that makes them 100% emission-free. The first two of these innovative cooling trailers will be used from July 2019.
Leon Cuypers, supply chain director of Vion Pork, said: “The use of cooling trailers with 100% electrically driven cooling motors is unique in the Netherlands. There are only a few companies which use them. We decided to take this step now. Using these trailers puts us at the forefront of developments in respect of new emission legislation and cleaner inner-city deliveries. The use of 100% electrically cooled trailers by Distrifresh is consistent with Vion’s Corporate Social Responsibility policy.”
The cooling motors of the trailers are driven electrically, which means that the trailers do not consume any diesel. This makes the trailer 100% emission-free, without any emissions of CO₂, soot or particulates. The electricity needed for cooling comes from reclaimed braking energy. As soon as the trailer slows down, the special axle absorbs energy and the more the cooling trailer slows down, the more energy is absorbed. As no diesel is used, there is a saving of approximately thirty litres of diesel per trailer every day. An additional benefit is that the trailer is ‘silent’: electrically cooled trailers produce relatively little noise.
The business will assess how the first two trailers perform before rolling out further. “The new cooling trailers represent a first step towards a more sustainable logistics process,” added Cuypers. “We will monitor the performance of the trailers closely to determine whether we can extend the number of electrically cooled trailers in the coming years.”
Earlier this month, Vion announced that its Vleesindustrie Valkenswaard site, which specialises in lard and fat production, is to close with activities to be redistributed throughout the wider business.
