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BWG Foods, one of Ireland’s leading wholesale and retail groups, today announced a significant development in its transition to a low carbon distribution operation through the launch of Ireland’s first electric heavy good vehicle (“HGV”) in the 20-tonne category, representing a €400,000 investment as part of a pioneering programme to test innovative low carbon technologies.

The 20 tonne Volvo electric truck, which has capacity for up to 33 pallet spaces, is powered by four 240 kWh batteries, providing a range of up to 250 kilometres. BWG Foods, owners and operators of the SPAR, EUROSPAR, LONDIS, MACE and XL brands, has allocated the new vehicle to undertake inter depot delivery operations in addition to nationwide store deliveries, using fast charging to increase daily range.

BWG Foods expects the new electric addition to its expansive low carbon delivery fleet to deliver approximately 80 tonnes of C02 savings annually when compared with conventional diesel power trucks, with the average BWG delivery truck covering 100,000 kilometres per year. This milestone development brings BWG’s low carbon delivery fleet to 32 HGV vehicles, combining Biogas, Compressed Natural Gas and Electric, reinforcing the Group’s status as having Ireland’s most sustainable delivery fleet.

Speaking about the launch of the new vehicle, Simon Marriott, Chief Operations Officer, BWG Foods said:

This is another very significant moment in our transition away from fossil fuels in favour of cleaner, more sustainable fuel sources and we are deeply committed to continuing our journey by pioneering the newest breakthrough technologies across our entire supply chain. We already have plans to build on this momentum with the launch of Ireland’s first electric tractor unit this Spring, in further collaboration with our partners in Translink Express and Volvo, and it is our hope that these steps will help provide confidence to our peers across the wider business community that these solutions are viable and worthy investments.

Commenting on the milestone, Member of European Parliament, Ciáran Cuffe said:

This is an exciting step in Ireland’s journey to a low carbon transport fleet and serves as an example of what is possible across Ireland’s distribution and logistics sector. This new vehicle, the first of many electric HGVs that we will see on Irish roads in the coming years, provides a cleaner and quieter alternative and will be supported by a new major infrastructure plan that will look to provide significantly increased access to nationwide charging points over the coming years. We are also working on new legislation at the EU level that could see a phase-out date for new fossil fuel trucks adopted in the coming years, as we have already done for cars and vans. Europe is going electric, and early investors will lead the way to a more sustainable future. 

In addition, BWG Foods is also transitioning a number of its delivery trucks across to Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (HVO), following a collaboration with Inver Energy. Inver Energy’s HVO is a renewable fuel made from used cooking oil and is one of the most advanced biofuels on the market, providing a path to 90 percent CO2 reductions without capital intensive vehicle investment.

These latest developments follow the recent addition of 10 new bio-methane powered HGVs to BWG’s distribution fleet in December following a €2 million investment. BWG Foods contributes non-consumable food waste from its distribution operations to produce biogas fuel for its new biogas vehicles, making this a circular solution that is unique in Ireland.

BWG Foods’ award-winning logistics division is amongst the largest in the country, supplying over 1,000 stores nationwide which together serve over one million people per day, along with a further 14,000 additional business customers across the retail, foodservice and licensed sectors.