Knauf’s haulage partner Nicholls has converted its whole fleet of liquified natural gas (LNG) trucks to 100% renewable fuel - a significant step towards a more carbon-efficient supply chain.
Knauf emissions from deliveries account for around 23% of total Scope 3 emissions for the UK company. The fleet accounts for the majority of Nicholls’ Scope 1 & 2 emissions. Reduced emissions are thus a priority for both organisations.
Brian Moran, Logistics Manager at Knauf, began this project searching logistics partners and renewing essential contracts. “The first priority was choosing to partner with a haulier who was committed to becoming more renewable. When I met with Nicholls, I was impressed by the fact they had undertaken their green journey themselves without any pressure from customers. They were already on a committed and defined sustainability journey,” Moran explains.
Rob Gearing, Head of Commercial and Business Development for Nicholls explains its route to a sustainable business: “Our vision started in 2014 with the building of a new site to include photovoltaic panels on the roofs to produce our own electricity and rainwater capture for use with the truck wash.”
In 2018, LNG trucks were trialled and following the success, a local refuelling site was built to accommodate the fleet as well as serving the local area. “We started with 10 trucks, now we’re up to 29 with more on order. Infrastructure used to be the main barrier but as this grows, so does our fleet,” Gearing adds.
“While we do still use diesel trucks for deliveries where distance and infrastructure for LNG isn’t viable, we are making the move to using more LNG trucks for our deliveries,” Moran continues. “We’re extremely proud of the accomplishment by Nicholls and continue to be impressed and inspired by their green journey. With Nicholls bringing more LNG trucks into their fleet, this not only benefits our partnership but the industry and environment as a whole.”
