Dearman and Unilever have partnered together to trial a zero emission transport refrigeration unit (TRU) for the first time in Europe. Both companies have claimed that the trials show clear benefits of the technology in reducing carbon emissions over a diesel system.
The six-month test was conducted in the Netherlands between June and December last year and saw a Dearman Hubbard TRU delivering frozen produce across the country.
Carbon dioxide emissions were curbed by 600kg per month over a conventional diesel-fuelled solution, according to the company. Emissions of nitrogen oxide and particulate matter emissions were also said to have been eliminated when using the system to deliver goods.
Dearman has argued that the testing was able to demonstrate a number of operational benefits from use of the TRU, such as rapid cool down rates and noise reduction. This was possible a cost that the company has claimed is “comparable” to existing diesel systems.
Dearman said that the TRU tests therefore showed that operational benefits and reduced carbon emissions could be realised without excessive upfront costs.
company chief executive Scott Mac Meekin argued that its trial with Unilever was a big step forward towards demonstrating the benefits of its TRU system for trying to curb the environmental impacts of supplying cold goods.
Raghuraman Ramakrishnan, vice president of Unilever’s European logistics operations, said the test had made use of its regional network to test the system under real life conditions.
He said, “Reducing the environmental impact of our logistics network is an integral part of the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan and our goal is to make sure that our transport and distribution systems are as green as possible.”
“We are committed to advancing sustainable solutions in logistics and leveraging new technologies once they become commercially available, in order to achieve this.”
