Dutch retailer Albert Heijn has said that by the end of this year, all home and store deliveries in the centre of The Hague will be undertaken with 100% electric trucks, with more cities to follow.
The retailer, part of Ahold Delhaize, said that Rotterdam, Utrecht and Amsterdam are next in line for the rollout, which will mean 'quieter and cleaner transport' for customers and local residents.
Rotterdam city centre will transition to 100% electric deliveries by the first quarter of 2023, while Utrecht and Amsterdam city centres will follow in the second half of 2023, the retailer said.
Albert Heijn recently unveiled its latest Home Shop Centre in Utrecht.
Biofuels Switch
In addition, the retailer is seeking to switch completely to biofuels and renewable diesel for all transport by 2024.
Since 2021, some 240 of the retailer's trucks have run on the environmentally friendly fuel LNG, with the retailer seeking to increase that to 270 by the end of the year.
It is also installing 240 charging stations across its store network this year, in collaboration with Eneco eMobility.
'Taking Major Steps'
“The demand for transport is growing, partly due to the popularity of home delivery," said Constantijn Ninck Blok, director of logistics and supply chain at Albert Heijn. "At the same time, we want to reduce CO2 emissions as quickly as possible. We see it as our responsibility to take major steps in this direction."
Albert Heijn has teamed up with logistics partners to facilitate the move, which Ninck Blok said is an important step.
"This can only be achieved through good cooperation," he noted. "We are not finished yet, our ambition continues – increasingly quieter, cleaner and of course focused on convenience, with sufficient availability and always on time, for our customers.”
Read More: Albert Heijn Expands Collaboration With Delivery Firms Thuisbezorgd.nl, Deliveroo
© 2022 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest supply chain news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
