The Delivering Decarbonisation conference takes place on 21 November at America Square Conference Centre in London and is designed to give delegates the knowledge and information required to plan their business strategy.

There will be a series of panel discussions and keynote speeches and Logistics UK said the line-up included Lord Callanan, minister for energy, efficiency and green finance; Dr Russell Fowler, senior manager at National Grid; Malcolm Wilkinson, head of energy at National Highways and Alan McKinnon, professor of logistics.

Topics include how to approach decarbonisation of HGV operations in the UK, how the government is supporting businesses, views from the OEMs, creating an EV adoption strategy and the infrastructure required for HGV decarbonisation.

Michelle Gardner, deputy director of policy at Logistics UK said: “The logistics industry is undergoing profound changes and is becoming increasingly complex as we strive for decarbonisation.

“In recognition of the significance of this transformation, we are delighted to host Delivering Decarbonisation, an essential conference – that proved to be extremely popular last year – for senior logistics leaders and decarbonisation experts.”

The event is £199 + VAT for Logistics UK members and £239 + VAT for non-members.
More information on the event can be found at: www.logistics.org.uk/deliveringdecarbonisation

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Transport & Environment (T&E) said that despite the government announcing £200m of funding for truck decarbonisation projects, it paled into insignificance compared to EU progress.

It said the UK had plenty of ambition but was lacking in action, citing an EU-wide law that ensured by 2025 there would be charging stations for HGVs every 60km along the core network in Europe and every 100km on larger, more comprehensive roads.

Complete network coverage is expected by 2030.

T&E added that the EU was also introducing standards that enabled truck makers to ramp up production of zero-emission trucks.

It compared HGV CO2 emissions from UK HGVs in 1990 and in 2021 and said there had been barely any decrease.

“The UK is in real danger of losing any competitive edge it has on truck decarbonisation”, said Richard Hebditch, T&E UK director.

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“It’s vital that the UK stays in the race as there is a flourishing industry behind e-HGV production, charging and battery supply that the UK could tap into.

“The government seems to be tiptoeing around major issues when it comes to transport decarbonisation and HGVs are a major opportunity, it would be silly and short-sighted to continue to pay them such little attention.”

The thinktank’s comments came as research by BP found that despite the majority of fleet managers believing decarbonisation was a positive move for their business, there remained significant concerns about the availability of alternative fuels and charging infrastructure.

BP said over half (53%) of HGV fleet managers said they had already begun their journeys to net zero but the same proportion questioned whether there would be enough renewable diesel to cater for demand.

A further 42% said they had concerns around recharging electric trucks during long-haul journeys.

Adrian Brabazon, head of UK fleet solutions at BP, says: “It’s encouraging to see that many HGV fleet managers are feeling positive about decarbonisation.

“At BP with our integrated approach and strong presence in traditional fuels, EV charging, and bioenergy, we are planning to develop a network of dedicated hubs for HGVs that will offer a selection of fuelling options, as well as better facilities for drivers.”

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The committee is also demanding an end to the exemption of garbage, construction and small urban trucks from EU emission targets and that trailer manufacturers deliver a 12.5% cut in trailer emission performance by 2030.

While Britain is no longer in the EU, these targets will still impact UK fleet operators because most trucks used in the UK are manufactured in Europe.

MEPs voted for targets to cut the average emissions of new freight trucks by 45% in 2030 and 90% in 2040. For 2035 they called for a 70% target, higher than the 65% proposed by the Commission. They also said the standards should be extended to cover the 20% of heavy-duty vehicle sales which the Commission has proposed to exempt, such as garbage and construction trucks and small trucks designed for city deliveries.

Fedor Unterlohner, freight manager at green think tank Transport and Environment (T&E), said: "MEPs have doubled down on the environment ministers’ support for the draft targets, except they don’t want a fifth of polluting trucks to escape regulation.

"A broad consensus is clearly emerging between lawmakers that these targets are the minimum needed for the truck sector to decarbonise.”

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The MEPs said trailer manufacturers should improve the emissions performance of truck trailers by 12.5% in 2030 – a slightly weaker target than proposed by the Commission.

A separate target for trailers helps reduce the energy required to pull the trailer, ensuring zero-emission trucks can drive even further.

The environment committee followed the Commission and environment ministers in rejecting loopholes for trucks running on e-fuels and biofuels.

Most biofuels are unsustainable and e-fuels are regarded as a last option, only needed for sectors with no other options to decarbonise such as aviation and shipping.

T&E pointed to research which shows synthetic fuels would increase the total cost of ownership (TCO) of trucks by as much as 50%, even when produced in the most optimistic conditions. It also pointed out that these fuels still emit toxic air pollutants harmful to human health.

Unterlohner said: “Lawmakers have again rejected the oil industry’s attempts to waterdown the truck climate targets.

"A loophole for biofuels and e-fuels would ensure as many fossil powered trucks as possible enter the fleet over the coming decades and keep up demand for fossil fuels.

"We call on the Parliament plenary to keep the door closed to these Frankenstein fuels.”

The EU Parliament will decide its position on the CO2 standards for heavy-duty vehicles when it meets in plenary on 21 or 22 November.

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The move is in response to Samsung Climate Solution’s storage requirements which have increased by 150% in the last three years following a growth surge driven by the UK heat pump market, which expanded by 26% between 2022 and 2023.

The market is expected to expand further this year, as people look for lower carbon ways to heat their homes and government grants for heat pumps are increased.

The new warehouse provides a single operating location for Samsung Climate Solutions, following the consolidation of two locations into one, giving a consolidated storage solution for air conditioning units and heat pumps.

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It now has four-times the inbound-outbound capacity of the company’s previous locations, with 95% of stock received directly from the factories and 5% as a top-up from the European Union.

Steve Fleming, head of climate solutions UK & Ireland at Samsung Climate Solutions, said: “We are thrilled with the Leicester warehouse solution in partnership with XPO Logistics.

"It allows us to continue to grow our business in both the air conditioning and heat pump market across the UK. Our team has grown from 19 when I joined in 2019 to 67 by the end of this year. We want to provide the best end-to-end customer service possible to match our ambitious growth plan.”

Dan Myers, XPO Logistics, Uk and Ireland managing director, added: "Samsung is an industry leader in the field of climate solutions, their passion and drive to innovate are our shared values and we look forward to working together in partnership to support their business’ continued development through the energy transformation the country has embarked upon.”

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The Kempower MCS, which provides up to 1.2 megawatts (1.2MW) of ultra-rapid DC charging, comes with a compact footprint of less than a quarter of a square meter, which Vital EV says offers the highest power-to-footprint ratio on the market.

The new charging solution is based on Kempower's existing hub-and-spoke architecture, with the two Kempower Power units coupling up to accommodate up to 24 50kW power modules.

This power is then dynamically distributed to the liquid-cooled satellite chargers which have been fitted with the new MSC plug, specifically designed to deliver the higher charging power required by HGVs.

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Alex Rae, Vital EV general manager and director, commented: “Decarbonising the truck industry is crucial for the UK’s net-zero strategy and we are delighted to be among the first to market with a viable charging solution for overnight, destination and en-route applications.”

“With our background in industrial power engineering and a range of groundbreaking EV charging projects already under our belt, we are ideally placed to deliver critical MCS infrastructure projects and we look forward with excitement to working with the truck industry to make that fundamental switch to electric.”

As part of the company's aftersales support, the Vital EV networks team will also continuously monitor the status of the chargers via its Oculus charging management portal, and carry out planned and reactive maintenance – including over-the-air (OTA) updates – to maximise charger uptime.

The post VITAL EV to launch ultra-rapid HGV charging system in 2024 appeared first on Motor Transport.

The DAF XB eHGV will be in operation before Christmas; it has a range of up to 350km and can go from a 20% to 80% charge in under 70 minutes.

Evri has also added 12 more bio-CNG Iveco S-Way tractor units to its fleet, bringing the total to 202 natural gas trucks and an additional 20 are being brought in on a temporary basis to support the company’s increased volumes in the run-up to Christmas.

It said it had also taken delivery of 43 long-body rigids, which increased capacity by 25% from 16 to 20 pallets.

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David Landy, Evri head of fleet, said: “We’re excited to get our hands on our first permanent electric HGV.

“I’m really proud of the investment our business continues to make in more sustainable vehicles, and I can’t wait to see what this vehicle can do in a highly demanding environment.

“We’ll be closely monitoring its performance so we can explore which other routes might be suitable for this kind of vehicle.

“Many of our routes require an extensive range to maintain efficiency of the parcel journey, so it’s the toughest area to decarbonise.”

For more stories tracking the industry journey to decarbonisation see our new Freight Carbon Zero website.

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The Fradley, Staffs haulier said it was thrilled to be running two electric trucks, which replace diesel variants and show its commitment to reducing its carbon footprint.

“Volvo has been a consistent brand in our fleet ever since the business was founded and they were always going to be our first choice when specifying our first-ever electric tractor units,” said Paul Hawkins, operations director.

The FM Electrics both feature three electrical motors, generating an output of 666hp and 2,400 Nm of continuous torque, paired with a standard I-Shift gearbox to deliver a smooth and ultra-quiet in-cab driving experience.

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Equipped with the maximum six batteries, the electric FMs offer a range of approximately 300km and can be recharged in two-and-a-half hours.

“We’ve already heard from many of our regular customers who are eager to welcome our new electric tractor units to their sites,” Hawkins added.

“We cannot wait to hit the road.”

The vehicles were supplied by Hartshorne Group.

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Launched following the government’s announcement this week that it would invest £200m in a refuelling and electric charging programme for trucks across the country, Hitachi said it would be providing data and insights over five years.

The company said this will involve analysing routes, vehicle and charging session data, range and charging infrastructure monitoring, as well as total cost of ownership modelling, to support investment business cases for eHGV deployments.

Hitachi ZeroCarbon was chosen as the principal partner of the ‘Electric Freightway’ project announced by the department for transport.d

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The hope is that the demonstration programme will give lorry fleet operators confidence that they can invest in electric versions of their diesel counterparts.

Ram Ramachander, chief executive of Hitachi ZeroCarbon said, “Hitachi is committed to being a climate change innovator and this means bringing our next-generation technologies and strong sector expertise to the Electric Freightway project.

“Freight transport is a large contributor to global CO2 emissions, so decarbonising the sector is vital to meet net zero targets.”

The RHA has welcomed the investment and providing clarity and certainty for operators: “Delivery against the HGV phase out dates set by ministers will require close collaboration amongst the many stakeholders involved and tough decisions may be necessary such as pragmatic exemptions to these dates and tax breaks to lower costs,” added RHA MD Richard Smith.

Logistics UK said it was encouraging to see the government finally making long-awaited progress on its promises to decarbonise the sector: “However ultimately, we need this progress to be faster and support actioned promptly if we are to meet impending decarbonisation deadlines,” said Kate Jennings Logistics UK policy director.

For more stories tracking the industry journey to decarbonisation see our new Freight Carbon Zero website.

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The demonstrator programme will involve a number of major fleet operators, including Menzies Distribution, Eddie Stobart, and Royal Mail, with manufacturers DAF, Volvo, Renault Trucks, and Scania providing the battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell-powered demonstrator trucks.

Innovate UK will lead the programme, which consists of four projects. These include Project Electric Freightway, led by Gridserve, which will demonstrate up to 140 DAF and Volvo battery electric trucks, along with up to 220 chargers, 70% of which will be open-access.

Another participant is Project Zero Emission North (ZEN) Freight, which will demonstrate up to 70 battery electric and 30 hydrogen fuel HGVs. Operators participating in the scheme include Eddie Stobart and Royal Mail.

Meanwhile Voltempo's eFREIGHT 2030 project is partnering with Renault Trucks, Scania and DAF to demonstrate up to 100 battery electric HGVs. Marks and Spencer and Menzies Distribution are some of the operators confirmed to be participating.

The fourth project, Hydrogen Aggregated Logistics (HyHAUL), is being led by Protium. It will deploy around 30 hydrogen fuel cell HGVs onto the M4. Through DfT funding, the HGV fleet will be serviced by one fixed hydrogen refuelling station (HRS) and mobile refuelling in two other locations.

The project has longer-term ambitions to implement two additional permanent hydrogen refuelling stations in Magor and Bridgend, alongside additional hydrogen conversion projects along the M4.

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The funding announcement comes during Freight Week, a government-led initiative which has seen ministers visiting a number of freight stakeholders this week, to understand how the sector can transition to net zero, drive innovation, and create new jobs.

Roads minister Richard Holden visited Voltempo in Birmingham this week. Its eFREIGHT 2030 project aims to create up to 200 new jobs by 2030. 

Michael Boxwell, eFREIGHT 2030 project director, said: “By early 2026, we will have eleven fleets deploying electric HGVs, and a nationwide HGV charging network using British built chargers. Each charge hub will provide at least six charge bays and 1,000kW charging.

"This demonstration programme combined with world-class infrastructure will give fleet operators confidence they can deploy electric HGVs at scale.”

Richard Smith, RHA MD, applauded the initative. He said: “We strongly welcome today’s announcement from the government on the zero emission HGV and infrastructure demonstrator programme.

“The £200m commitment Ministers are putting into this demonstrator significantly helps to de-risk the transition to net zero.

"The real-world demonstrators will answer many of the practical questions operators have and, in turn, give our members the confidence to invest in the zero emission lorries needed to drive down carbon emissions from our sector.”

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The Sittingbourne-based transport company launched its first LNG-fuelled HGV back in 2019 and since then it has saved thousands of tonnes of carbon.

Local MP Gordon Henderson also paid the firm a visit and it revealed to the roadshow that the second half of 2022 had led to a 191% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

Nicholls Transport added that in the year to May 2023, it had also saved 3,180 tonnes of CO2.

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Rob Gearing, head of commercial and business development at the haulier said that when it started using LNG it hoped to achieve a 90% saving and so its latest results had “far exceeded our expectations.”

He said: “Nicholls were also able to show that after becoming an ATF for the DVSA, from January to August we had saved 9,500kg of CO2 being produced by not taking our vehicles off site for MOTs.”

The firm also showed attendees how the bees around its site are generating honey and candles for ‘Nicholls Nectar’, run by Samantha Nicholls.

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