Colruyt Group will transition its existing fleet of diesel trucks to biodiesel HVO100, the company announced in a press release on Thursday as part of its journey towards fully emission-free goods transport.
Previously, the group, which includes Colruyt Lowest Prices and Okay, purchased 20 battery-electric trucks and two hydrogen trucks, while also conducting tests with two H2 trucks (350 bar) under the European innovation project H2Haul.
Now, Colruyt is switching its remaining 15 44-tonne tractor units and approximately 400 vans and delivery vehicles to biodiesel. This is specifically HVO100, or 100% Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil, produced entirely from biomass. DATS24 will supply this fuel initially for Colruyt Group vehicles at two white-fuchsia pumps at distribution centres in Halle and Woelingen (Hainaut), with a future goal to assess its availability for subcontractors.
Koen De Vos, who heads the supply chain at Colruyt Group, acknowledges the “controversy” surrounding biodiesel as a sustainable fuel. “We have conducted thorough research, sought advice, and comply with all applicable legislation, choosing the right supplier,” he stated. “We ensure that we operate as sustainably as possible.” Biodiesel will serve only as a transitional fuel in the shift towards battery-electric and green hydrogen solutions.
Colruyt Group aims for its own transport operations to be emission-free by 2030, with plans to extend this to all goods transportation conducted by and for the company by 2035.
