How DP World & Maersk are Electrifying Food Transport
A trial between DP World, MAN Truck & Bus, Maersk and Fyffes could show what is possible when partners join forces.
Logistics specialist DP World is now introducing the use of electric trucks for the delivery of Fyffes' bananas.
Nicholas Mazzei, Vice President of Sustainability at DP World, wrote on LinkedIn: "Yesterday, from our Southampton terminal to Basingstoke, we delivered Fyffes their container of bananas fully electric.
"And, in perhaps what is the most impeccable timing, it all happened while I attended a working session on decarbonisation of supply chains and road transport with the WBCSD – World Business Council for Sustainable Development.
"Just as I was discussing our work with TRATON GROUP CSO Andreas Follér, I got a message from Dave Munday in our UK logistics team that we had successfully delivered the container by using the MAN Truck & Bus SE eTGX."
Electric trucks and cold chain logistics
The delivery for Fyffes, the largest importer of Fairtrade certified bananas in the world, shows how electric vehicles can be integrated into complex cold chains.
Fyffes requires its products to be delivered in the best possible condition, a challenge managed through its partnership with Maersk.
Maersk provides extensive cold chain experience using specific temperature-controlled containers and live monitoring.
The company has developed its own logistics solutions for banana transportation named StarCare and StarRipe containers.
The StarRipe container is an innovative design that features a controlled ripening function embedded into its controlled atmosphere.
It allows suppliers to set parameters for temperature oxygen and carbon dioxide.
The ripening process is then automatically activated to match a customer’s desired ripeness when the container is opened.
"We have been ripening bananas on the move for some time now, so it is no longer a question of whether it works – now it is about sitting together with our customers and finding how this technology best fits into their processes and their supply chain," adds Michaela Steineker, Senior Business Development Manager at Maersk.
About the MAN eTGX
At the centre of this trial was the MAN eTGX electric truck.
MAN Truck & Bus says it has a climate protection responsibility and is focusing on the move towards electrification with battery-electrically-powered commercial vehicles.
The MAN eTGX electric truck is designed specifically for long distances.
It has a charging capacity of up to 750kW and can be charged during breaks of around 45 minutes, meaning the scope is up to 350 kilometres.
Nicholas adds: "Making the EV transition happen can't be done by any one company. It took MAN, Maersk, Fyffes and DP World to make this happen. But the key is that it did happen and it will happen more and more."
Through responsible, thorough cold chains and the use of sustainable, electric vehicles, Fyffes bananas were delivered in peak condition, with a low level of emissions.
