Colruyt Group has announced that its ambition for the entire retail group's goods transport to be zero-emission by 2035 is becoming more concrete.
The Belgian family-owned retail corporation said from this spring, the group will start using a 44-tonne electric truck and five refrigerated trucks.
Colruyt added that the use of these vehicles meets the pledge it made within the Brussels ‘Low-emission urban logistics’ Green Deal.
The project was supported by VLAIO (Flanders innovation and entrepreneurship), an initiative by the Flemish government to support innovation and entrepreneurship in the region to create a business climate for sustainable economic growth and job creation.
Zer0-Emission 2035
The group said that vehicles running on green hydrogen and battery-electric vehicles running on green electricity will become the standard.
The 44-tonne electric truck will be used to transport goods between distribution centres and Colruyt Group stores in Belgium.
Apart from being zero-emission, the Volvo FM Electric is also quieter than its counterparts with a combustion engine.
Future Plans
The company has built a completely new charging infrastructure with fast chargers at Colruyt Group's Dassenveld distribution centre to charge the truck.
The intention is to organise meaningful tests in real conditions with the truck so that the group can gain the necessary insights in terms of using more of these vehicles in the future.
"Six months after the announcement of our ambition, our efforts are already visible on the road which is something we're very proud of. We hope these electric trucks will inspire the rest of the sector," said Frederik Muylaert, transport division manager at Colruyt Group.
"We'll provide the necessary charging stations ourselves, but we hope that by getting these vehicles on the road, we also highlight the need for more public charging infrastructure. We strongly believe in an ecosystem with all our partners and the government in which we can enable a zero-emission future together," Muylaert added.
Read More: Belgium's Colruyt Group Collaborates With BeeOdiversity
© 2023 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest supply chain news. Article by Robert McHugh. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
