Heineken to deploy Volvo FM Electric for national transport

For transporting tanker beer between the brewery in Den Bosch, stadiums, events and inner cities such as Amsterdam, Heineken will deploy a Volvo FM Electric this year. It is the first electric truck for heavier duty over longer distances for the brewery in the Netherlands. The transport will be provided by logistics service provider and partner of Heineken, Abrex Logistics of Udenhout. They recently signed a letter of intent from Volvo Trucks and dealer BAS Truck Center. 

Last July, Heineken already took delivery of the first two of six smaller electric tanker beer trucks for Amsterdam's inner city. Now it is the turn of the heavier, longer-distance transport. 

"Heineken has a strong green ambition and here we look at the whole chain. Of course that includes clean transport. I am pleased that we can now also transport tank beer, the largest weight of beer we transport by road, sustainably," explains Carl van der Wielen, Manager Tank Beer Heineken Netherlands. 

The Volvo FM Electric will be used to transport 200 hectoliters of tank beer between Heineken's brewery in Den Bosch and inner cities such as Amsterdam. As much as possible, the truck will be loaded with green electricity generated via the solar panels at the brewery in Den Bosch. In addition to reducing CO₂, NO_X and soot particles, noise is also greatly reduced because the new electric truck is quiet.

CO₂-reduction 

"That we are now taking a first step in making national transport more sustainable is a great milestone and a prelude to more clean miles. We now honor our green house color even more than we already did by brewing the Heineken® beer for the Dutch market 100% green. By deploying the electric tanker beer trucks, we reduced CO₂-emissions on the entire transport from the brewery in Den Bosch already by over 40%. Now that we are also going to use an electric truck on the longer distance, that is a nice step into the future," Carl van der Wielen explains.

Brew a Better World

Heineken plans to make its entire fleet cleaner and quieter in the coming years. The step to now also supply its tank beer with electric transport is part of Heineken's Brew a Better World approach, in which growth and sustainability go hand in hand. Previously, Heineken announced that it would supply pubs in Utrecht with lighter, quieter and cleaner beer. The beer that is brewed in Zoeterwoude for export now travels by electric container ship to the port of Rotterdam. Step by step, Heineken is thus becoming even greener. In addition to green brewing and transport, Heineken is also focusing on recycling packaging and promotional materials and reusing materials after the closure or renovation of a hospitality establishment. Within ten years, the brewer wants to have closed the material cycles. 

Heineken innovates together. Like the electric tank beer truck, this heavier electric truck for transporting tank beer was also made possible by Abrex Logistics from Udenhout. 

The letter of intent for the Volvo FM Electric was recently signed by Heineken and Abrex Logistics. The official order is expected to be signed this spring after which the truck can be delivered by Volvo Trucks dealer BAS Truck Center in the fall.