Heineken, in collaboration with Einride, has announced its inaugural cross-border electric freight journey, signaling a significant step forward in reshaping freight mobility.
The initiative involves the introduction of electric freight operations, powered by renewable electricity, between Heineken’s Den Bosch brewery in the Netherlands and the Duisburg distribution centre in Germany. This move is projected to reduce co2 emissions by approximately 930 tonnes per year, representing a crucial first stride in transitioning to decarbonised transport practices. Heineken aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions in its value chain by 2040, with logistics accounting for 12% of its total Carbon footprint.
“Decarbonisation of logistics will play a key role in achieving Heineken’s net-zero commitments,” said Arjen van der Woude, Heineken’s Director Strategic Sourcing Supply Chain. ”At this stage, battery electric is one of the best-positioned technologies to decarbonise road freight. Einride has the knowledge, network and experience to offer long-term end-to-end electric freight capacity services at competitive conditions. Their capability to bind OEMs, transportation companies, carriers, drivers, and authorities together to smoothly organize logistics in critical parts of our network makes them a great partner.”
The initial phase of the project encompasses the full deployment of Einride’s offering, including electric trucks fueled by renewable energy, the establishment of Charging infrastructure, and the integration of the AI-driven operating system, Einride Saga, which powers the entire ecosystem. A fleet of five Mercedes eActros 300 trucks will transport 10 daily full truck loads, covering approximately 540km per truck.
The charging infrastructure, based on Kempower charging solutions and integrated with Saga, will optimise routes, minimise energy consumption, and monitor emissions reductions through data-driven insights. Einride has demonstrated significant reductions in CO2 emissions, with its business partners experiencing up to a 95% decrease compared to diesel-driven alternatives.
“At Einride, with a highly ambitious, sustainable driven team, we see Heineken as an ideal partner on a clearly defined path to reduce emissions,” explained Robert Ziegler, General Manager EMEA at Einride. ”As Heineken’s actions towards net-zero span across the entire value chain, we are happy to help them achieve this goal by joining forces on a cross-border electrification journey.”
