Danish companies will cooperate on climate-neutral transport
Every year, Arla and Danish Crown export large quantities of food via the Port of Esbjerg to Immingham in the UK and on to the British market, which results in a significant CO2 footprint from the transport. Therefore, the two food companies are now joining forces with DFDS and DSV to work for a new transport corridor, which must make the transport of food from Denmark to Great Britain climate neutral (net zero) by 2030 at the latest.
"The entire agricultural sector is going through a historic change in these years, and both Arla and Danish Crown have committed to becoming climate neutral by 2050. We can only achieve this with joint solutions, and we share that spirit with DFDS and DSV. Together, we would like to explore and develop the opportunities we already have today, rather than simply waiting for technologies", says Bo Svane, logistics director at Arla.
The scope of the partnership's transport corridor will be continuously expanded as the use of electric trucks, electrically powered refrigerated transport and the development of greener fuels for shipping are tested, phased in and scaled, so that Arla's and Danish Crown's products can be transported climate-neutral by 2030 using new technologies.
"The partnership on the corridor fits in perfectly with our ambition to be at the forefront of the green transformation of the food sector. This autumn we will open a new factory in England, and with the corridor we will be able to offer our British customers food products that have been transported climate-neutral all the way from the Danish farms to the British supermarkets by 2030 at the latest", says Lars Feldskou, group purchasing director at Danish Crown.
The four companies have been working on developing the transport corridor for more than a year and are now ready with a number of pilot projects. Specifically, Danish Crown will test the use of electric trucks for picking up pigs, while DFDS and DSV will pilot test the use of electric trucks and refrigerated trailers for the transport of dairy and meat products to Esbjerg and then for distribution in Great Britain. A freight route that both DFDS and DSV have many years of experience with, and which they share the ambition to make better and less harmful to the climate than ever.
"We are happy to be one of four large companies working together in this project, where we not only promote, but actually start executing on the green transition. We need cooperation across the value chain to solve the climate crisis". says Anders Michael Christensen, Vice President, DFDS Logistics.
The first charging stations for electric trucks have already been established in a few places in Denmark, but there is a need to establish many more with enough charging power to handle heavy traffic. Among other things at the port in Esbjerg and at Danish Crown and Arla's locations in Denmark.
"A climate-neutral transport corridor requires that both the companies and the political system have full focus on developing the infrastructure. We are not going to solve the climate crisis in one fell swoop, and that is precisely why we believe that cooperation across sectors, such as the one we are now initiating, is crucial", says Morten Kjærgaard, Vice President, DSV Road.
The companies behind the ambition for the climate-neutral food corridor will already collect data from 2024 so that the climate effects of the partnership can be measured.
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