THE Scottish Wholesale Association has teamed up with Arcola Energy to launch a hydrogen-powered road freight trial.
As part of the SWA’s ongoing sustainability programme, the trial will field test battery-electric vehicles in real-world settings to test their viability.
It’s hoped that the trial will help to design and develop cost-effective, zero-emission heavy goods vehicles and their refuelling infrastructure in the UK.
Led by Arcola Energy, the trial has secured funding from the Department of Transport’s Zero Emission Road Freight programme.
Colin Smith, chief executive of the SWA, said: “We are now in Phase 2 of our own Decarbonisation of the Wholesale Industry Project designed to help members and the wider wholesale sector become greener and more sustainable.
“With ambitious plans to decarbonise the wholesale food supply chain and achieve net-zero emissions by 2045, if not before, we are currently finalising the results of Phase 1 ready for presenting our sector’s fleet make-up and carbon footprint – the outcomes of which have already generated the interest of technology developers such as Arcola Energy and Scottish Power.”
Arcola Energy strategy director Richard Kemp-Harper said: “The key objective of the project is to identify early adopters in heavy-duty freight sectors with a strong drive to decarbonise operations.
“By understanding their use cases, we can specify vehicle and infrastructure requirements for what they need.”
