In a notable move towards sustainability, Ball Beverage Packaging and Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) have embarked on a year-long trial in the United Kingdom, deploying vehicles fuelled by a mix of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) and diesel. This green initiative commenced in October and is projected to slash carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions by approximately 300 tons annually during its 5,000 delivery operations to the CCEP facility in Wakefield, West Yorkshire.
The trial incorporates HVO as a renewable fuel substitute, promising up to a 90% reduction in carbon footprint for the beverage supply chain, from can production to final product delivery. HVO stands out as it requires no engine modification or additional upkeep for the existing vehicle fleet, and it can be stored alongside conventional diesel, allowing for easy integration and potential CO2e emission improvements.
“Through strong collaboration with our customers and suppliers across the value chain we are driving towards our sustainability goals,” stated Tom McCarthy, Ball Beverage Packaging’s vice president of Integrated Business Planning for the EMEA region.
Francisco Javier Sanchez Gandarias of Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Great Britain voiced similar sentiments, emphasizing the shared commitment to diminish transport emissions.
“We are continuing to encourage all of our third-party partners to transition to lower carbon solutions so we can produce and deliver the drinks people love more sustainably.”
This trial is bolstered by Menzies Distribution, a logistics ally of Ball in the UK. It aligns with Ball’s Climate Transition Plan, a strategic blueprint for becoming a fully circular and decarbonized enterprise.
HVO vehicles have already been integrated into Ball’s operations across France and Sweden, with further expansions planned in Spain, Italy, Austria, and Switzerland. In the previous year, CCEP incorporated alternative fuels for around 8% of its haulage mileage in Europe, and the current UK trial is a step towards increasing this percentage.
CCEP, as the globe’s leading independent Coca-Cola bottler, aims for net-zero emissions by 2040 and a 30% cut in GHG emissions by 2030 (compared to 2019 figures). Central to this ambition is their drive to empower suppliers in adopting science-based carbon reduction targets and shifting to 100% renewable energy.
