Sainsbury’s has announced plans to design, develop and deploy smart chargers for its electric refrigerated trailer, cutting as much as 20 tonnes of carbon emissions each year.
The trailers, which run their chiller units from batteries, rather than from diesel generators, were first trialled last year and have now been integrated into the supermarket’s lorry fleet.
The supermarket has partnered with Flexible Power Systems to develop a smart charging system that will allow the batteries in the trailers to be charged from low-carbon energy sources and charging at night.
The move cuts carbon emissions associated with the refrigeration units and helps the grocer manage the overall energy use in its distribution centres.
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“Following the announcement of our newly accelerated target to be net-zero in our own operations by 2035, we’re committed to trialling and investing in pioneering technology to enable us to lead the way to a decarbonised future,” Sainsbury’s director of property and procurement Patrick Dunne said.
“We will continue to introduce fully electric refrigerated trailers to our delivery fleet over the next 20 years and are excited to be working with Flexible Power Systems to maximise our carbon savings even further, making our delivery fleet more efficient and better for the planet.”
The news comes as the UK government has committed to ending the sale of all new petrol and diesel heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) by 2040.
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