Optimising Manufacturing Logistics for a Greener Future
NestlĂ© is accelerating its journey towards net-zero emissions by 2050 through an ambitious partnership with Europeâs leading digital road freight forwarder, sennder.
Over the past three years, the companies have drastically lowered carbon emissions by transporting more than 3,000 green loads, cutting over 2,000 tonnes of CO2e through the use of electric trucks and HVO100, a renewable diesel.
Advancing sustainable logistics
Nestlé's collaboration with sennder is central to overhauling its logistics operations and ensuring alignment with sustainability goals. The focus is on enhancing transport efficiency, implementing advanced logistics technologies and integrating renewable energy.
With major investments in infrastructure and operations, Nestlé is committing to environmentally-friendly logistics. A hallmark of this partnership is the deployment of electric trucks for the THOMY product line in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Within four months, sennder achieved over 100 deliveries, covering more than 10,000 kilometres without generating tailpipe emissions. This alone anticipates reducing CO2e emissions by around 55 tonnes annually on one transport route.
“Nestlé and sennder have been working together since 2021 to implement the two most scalable green solutions in road freight," highlights Graham Major-Ex, Senior Director of Green Business & eMobility at sennder.
"One is HVO, which is a renewable diesel that reduces carbon emissions by up to 90%. The second is electric trucks, which run with zero tailpipe emissions and significantly reduce carbon emissions on every single transport.”
Elevating electric transport efficiency
sennder and Nestlé deploy a suite of strategies aimed at making electric vehicle (EV) transport both cost-effective and efficient.
sennder's expansive network enhances utilisation of both trucks and drivers by consolidating loads across various routes. Meanwhile, Nestlé has built strategically located charging stations near its facilities, substantially reducing energy costs and downtime.
Transport schedules are precisely coordinated with driver shifts and EV charging times to boost productivity and cut waste. Anticipating the future, Nestlé is investing in renewable infrastructure, implementing solar-powered warehouses and PV system-equipped charging points, further lessening environmental impacts.
According to Matthias Fleischer, Vice President of Supply Chain at Nestlé Germany, electric transport is crucial in realising the company's sustainability objectives. "Achieving our net-zero emissions goal by 2050 requires significant logistics optimisation," he explains.
"Partnering with sennder to implement electric trucks in Germany has been a critical step in ensuring our transport operations are both efficient and sustainable. While infrastructure and battery improvements are ongoing, electric trucks are increasingly viable for short-distance journeys.”
Expanding through collaborative agreements
A vital aspect of the Nestlé-sennder partnership includes Juna, a joint venture between sennder and Scania, which provides electric trucks to carriers via a pay-per-use leasing model. This model mitigates substantial upfront costs and ensures truck utilisation through sennder's platform.
Schober Logistics exemplifies how leasing trucks through Juna for Nestlé contributes to the economic feasibility of EV transport. By easing the shift to EVs, this method allows carriers to utilise sustainable options without facing the financial strain of purchasing vehicles outright.
The collaboration between sennder and Nestlé exemplifies how leveraging advanced technologies, data-led methods and strategic partnerships can foster greener road freight solutions, underscoring the potential for digital freight innovation to reshape traditional logistics and bolster sustainability on a broader scale.
Graham concludes: "The road freight industry is going through a technological transformation. We are here to help our customers adopt electric trucks at scale to enable them to build a future-looking competitive advantage."
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