Lidl Ireland has announced it will roll out the first electric truck and hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) heavy goods vehicles (HGV) to its logistics fleet as part of a pilot scheme being operated at the retailer's regional distribution centre in Newbridge.
The scheme is the start of Lidl's transition from fossil fuel commercial vehicles to more environmentally-friendly alternatives as part of its commitment to becoming carbon-neutral by 2025 and to reduce its operational emissions by 46% by 2030.
Lidl said the move, for which it has partnered with refrigerated delivery suppliers Zellwood Ltd, was a first for the Irish food retail sector, and the introduction of the vehicles is an initial step in a larger rollout across its logistics fleet, which delivers to its four distribution centres and 200 stores.
"At Lidl we take our role in society seriously and strive to go above and beyond to make a positive difference, delivering real change through innovation and investment," said Robert Ryan, chief operating officer of Lidl Ireland & Northern Ireland.
"As a leading retailer it is our responsibility to not only offer the best service and price for our customers, suppliers, and communities, but to protect the environment and build a successful, sustainable future.
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"We are delighted to be the first retailer in Ireland to incorporate positive change by use of these environmentally friendly haulage trucks into our logistics fleet. Not only does it accelerate our journey to cleaner roads, but in turn with the soaring cost of fossil fuels like diesel it will keep prices down for our customers.
"We are looking forward to the journey ahead to scale up adaption across our entire fleet aligning to our sustainable environmental commitments and goals.”
The HVO vehicle uses a 100% renewable fuel with the same chemical structure as diesel, produced from the hydrotreatment of vegetable oil, that will reduce emissions per trip by 90% and by 121.75tn of carbon dioxide equivalents for a full year's deliveries.
"We have been working closely with the logistics team at Lidl over the past few years to ensure their fleet is encompassing the business objectives for fast reliable livery while delivering a pragmatic approach to cleaner roads in Ireland," said William Flanagan, managing director of Zellwood Ltd.
"This is an exciting time for logistics as we now are seeing the introduction of environmentally friendly vehicles into fleets. The future of Irish roads is electric, however, it is the early stage and with time we will see more technological advances, better availability, and range.
"In the meantime, the beauty of this new HVO is that it can be used to fuel any diesel vehicle without having to modify the engines and eliminates unnecessary operational emissions while offering the same distance, range and accessibility as a fossil-fuelled vehicle."
Lidl made the switch to purchasing 100% green energy in 2018 and has committed to retrofitting solar panels to its stores and distribution centres.
The company's first electric trucks will hit the road next month and will be powered by fully traceable renewable solar-generated electricity, produced in Newbridge.
Photo: Robert Ryan at Lidl Ireland's Newbridge regional distribution centre. (Pic: Naoise Culhane)
