Tesco Ireland has taken delivery of 50 state-of-the-art biomethane-fueled trucks that will operate across its country-wide distribution network.
The new trucks replace 50 diesel units, cutting down tailpipe carbon emissions, and will be operated by DHL Supply Chain to transport produce to stores from Tesco’s distribution centers in Dublin.
The renewable fuel for the trucks will come from Irish and European anaerobic digestion plants, and the trucks will refuel at the newly opened BioCNG refueling station operated by Flogas at nearby St Margaret’s in north Dublin.
Shared commitment to sustainability
Each truck has a range capacity of 700km on a full tank of biomethane gas which enables the Tesco business to reach any of its 177 stores and return without refueling. Each tractor will complete an average of 15 to 20 truckloads of store deliveries across the country each week from Letterkenny to Kerry to Dublin.
DHL Supply Chain’s David O’Neill said, “This is such an important project to demonstrate the role biomethane can play in Irish commercial transport and a significant step toward decarbonizing Tesco’s fleet. Our partnership with Tesco shows what can be achieved through a shared commitment to sustainability and we’re looking forward to continuing this journey together.
“DHL is fundamentally decarbonizing a significant proportion of the retail transport sector in Ireland, and this partnership with Tesco Ireland is a big part of that story. This project is a great example of our Green Transport Policy, guiding the transition of 30% of our own fleet to a green alternative by the end of 2026, an important enabler in achieving our sustainability goals.”
Sophisticated distribution
Speaking about the switch to biomethane, Tesco Ireland retail and distribution director Ger Counihan said, “Our network is one of the most sophisticated distribution networks in the country. More than 1,800 journeys are made from our distribution centers every week to our 177 stores. We have worked hard with DHL to prepare for the switch from diesel to biomethane trucks, and this move to cleaner energy will reduce the carbon emissions created by this fleet considerably.”
Andy McGregor, Tesco Ireland head of sustainability, added, “This is a significant moment in our journey towards decarbonizing our business. Transitioning to biomethane from diesel will significantly reduce our transport emissions and is an important step toward reaching our goal of net-zero emissions across Scopes 1, 2 and 3 by 2050.”