Trucksters, DHL use 100% renewable diesel to help decarbonize long-distance transportation routes in Europe

Photo: Cepsa

Trucksters, the technology-based truck relay transport operator, is partnering with Cepsa and its network of service stations to supply its trucks with 100 percent hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), also known as renewable diesel.

Specifically, Trucksters will use this biofuel in the freight-transit service it provides for several of DHL’s routes connecting northern Spain with Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Poland, promoting the decarbonization of long-distance road transport in Europe with a supply network that adapts to the needs of Trucksters’ international routes.

Cepsa produces this 100 percent renewable diesel at its La Rábida Energy Park in Huelva, Spain, from used cooking oil (UCO).

It is a second-generation biofuel that not only reduces CO2 emissions without having to make changes in vehicles, but it also promotes the circular economy.

“This alliance with Cepsa and DHL reaffirms our commitment to sustainability in road transport, while providing the best service to our customers,” said Álvaro Guerreiro, Trucksters’ international sales manager. “At Trucksters, we fight every day to implement real change within the sector, and thanks to DHL’s great innovative spirit, we have successfully carried out this project together, thus laying a solid foundation on which to build the sustainable future that Europe needs.”

Cedric Vigneau, Cepsa’s director of fleets and commercial road transport, added, “At Cepsa, we make it easier for our customers to decarbonize their operations so we can move together towards sustainable mobility. To achieve this, we offer different solutions adapted to their needs. One of the most immediate alternatives is HVO, a biofuel that we produce in our facilities from used cooking oil. It achieves a reduction of up to 90 percent in CO2 emissions throughout its lifecycle compared to traditional fuels without making any changes to current diesel engines.”

Rubén Gavela, general director of DHL Freight Iberia, stated, “This is one more step in the firm purpose of DHL Freight and the DHL Group as a whole to commit to sustainability and the decarbonization of transport. Investing in green logistics is an unavoidable need in the market and a competitive advantage as this type of transportation solutions become a greater priority for our clients.”

In Spain, road-transport emissions account for 92.6 percent of total CO2 emissions from all forms of transport, according to data provided by the Transport and Logistics Observatory in Spain of the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda.