The path to green logistics with biogas

Transgourmet has got a taste for biogas: the catering and key account specialist has been supplying all customers in Germany in a climate-neutral way since October. Another 109 Iveco S-Ways with CNG engines are part of their green logistics policy.

By 2026, Transgourmet will convert one-third of its truck fleet in Germany to run on biogas. Source: Iveco/Transgourmet

Transgourmet Deutschland GmbH & Co. OHG specialises in delivering a full range of food and goods to large consumers in the general and mass catering sectors throughout Germany. It is now expanding its fleet with 109 Iveco S-Way CNG chassis with so-called multi-temp bodies. As a result, the company now has a total of 114 biogas-powered Iveco vehicles in daily use at Transgourmet Foodservice and its subsidiary EGV AG.

“The acquisition of the new Iveco S-Way CNG is part of Transgourmet’s sustainability strategy. We added the first gas-powered vehicles to our fleet back in 2018 and had very good experiences with them,” explains Sven Sauerwein, Head of Logistics Services at Transgourmet. “This is why we are now taking the next step towards fleet conversion. Today, our customers expect not only impeccable, high-quality goods, but also delivery that is as environmentally friendly as possible. We are happy to meet this requirement out of our own conviction.”

By 2026, Transgourmet will convert one-third of its truck fleet in Germany to run on biogas. Source: Iveco/Transgourmet

Thanks to the use of biogas, customers from sectors including general catering, hotels, company catering and social institutions benefit from an almost CO2-neutral delivery. The biogas trucks are mainly used in inner-city delivery operations and in the vicinity of the Transgourmet distribution centres. Transgourmet consciously relies on the sustainable and environmentally friendly biogas-powered models of the Iveco S-Way. These are ideal for deliveries in inner-city areas and thus in densely populated residential areas with some highly regulated environmental zones. Compared to a diesel truck, its nitrogen dioxide and soot emissions are significantly lower. By using biogas at Transgourmet, CO2 emissions can be reduced by up to 95%. In addition, the environmentally friendly biogas trucks are much quieter than a comparable diesel truck, which still also allows noise-reduced deliveries to customers.

With its pioneering «Green Logistics» project, Transgourmet has managed to become the first food wholesaler in Germany with climate-neutral deliveries in October 2022. Source: Iveco/Transgourmet

The new 109 biogas vehicles for Transgourmet are mainly Iveco S-Ways with a fully air-suspended 4×2 standard chassis with a technically permissible total weight of 19 tonnes and either a 340 HP or a 400 HP 9-litre CNG engine. There are four gas tanks on the left and right sides, with a total capacity of 160 kg. This enables a range of up to 670 kilometres. There are also three-axle chassis with a technically permissible total weight of 26 tonnes and a 340 HP CNG engine, as well as an “exotic” 400 HP S-Way with an LNG engine.

All Transgourmet customers receive a certificate attesting to their climate-neutral delivery thanks to CNG trucks running on biogas. In addition, a tree is planted for every customer who participates in the “Green Logistics” project Schutzgemeinschaft Deutscher Wald e.V. (German Forest Protection Association). Source: Iveco/Transgourmet

By 2026, Transgourmet has set itself the target of procuring at least 300 CNG-powered commercial vehicles in order to reduce the CO₂ emissions of its truck fleet by at least 20%. “This is also part of our “Green Logistics” project. Since October 2022, we have been supplying all our customers in a climate-neutral manner, making a further contribution to environmental and climate protection,” continues Sven Sauerwein. “With this decision, we are once again setting new standards and assuming a pioneering role in the food service industry, as we are the first food wholesaler in Germany to offer climate-neutral supplies. We rely on the CNG engine because the infrastructure and, above all, the ranges are suitable and we can drive in an almost CO₂-neutral way with locally produced biogas.”(pd/jas, 6. Dezember 2022)