A NEW ‘GREENPRINT’ FOR SUSTAINABLE WAREHOUSING LAUNCHED

Leading material handling provider publishes new report on greening the intralogistics leg of the supply chain

Choosing the right warehouse location; proximity to a reliable electricity supply; engaging and educating logistics teams on the importance and impact of sustainable warehousing operations; careful consideration around the selection of forklifts; and the opportunity afforded by solar energy were highlighted as critical factors to support greener warehousing in the future in a report that has been produced by Linde Material Handling.

The report: A Greenprint for Sustainable Warehousing was based on contributions from industry leaders and experts. It reveals that:

• Proximity to road and rail freight networks, airports and sea terminals, access to labour and to a reliable electricity supply together provide an ideal starting point for greener intralogistics operations.

• There’s now a very big shift towards lithium-ion in electric forklifts away from acid-lead batteries, which is offering 20-30% increase in efficiency, energy savings and CO2 emission reductions.

• Hard questions need to be asked of suppliers and manufacturers about what to do with lithium-ion batteries. Whilst they have a long life in forklifts – five or seven years – a reuse market needs to be established.

• For manufacturers and outsourced logistics providers who cannot easily switch from internal combustion forklift vehicles, hydrotreated vegetable oil is very compatible with diesel trucks, offering greatly enhanced environmental performance.

• Reducing forklift speeds and limiting travel distances, as well as changing how and when vehicle batteries are recharged, all present sustainability and efficiency benefits.

• Smart planning through simulation of warehouse operations and innovative approaches to asset management support greater efficiency and better environmental performance.

• Solar energy offers significant opportunities to reduce the carbon footprint of warehouse operations through rooftop and ground-mounted installations as well as the introduction of solar carports on site.

• In the last year larger warehouse landlords have increasingly been introducing solar energy systems, given their potential, which opens up the opportunity of a renewable energy source to tenants on short leases.

• Engaging staff in sustainability is key to reducing the carbon footprint in the warehouse environment. Examples such as creating internal ESG ambassadors, offering sustainable travel to work opportunities, providing electric charging on site for employees who drive into work, and empowering operators to embrace telematics data that create opportunities for environmental performance improvements were cited as some of the ways to get personnel on board.

• Payback periods for solar now around 3 to 4 years when they were previously 5-6 years due to rising energy costs from the grid and lower solar technology costs which are a tenth of what they were ten years ago.

When we consider sustainability in logistics, our first thoughts turn to transportation. Yet according to the UK Warehousing Association (UKWA), warehousing in this country in 2021 accounted for some 566m sq ft of property – a rise of 32% over the previous six years.

Tracy Clarke, Business Solutions Manager, Linde Material Handling

CargoBeamer, the leading operator of rail connections for noncraneable semi-trailers in Europe, is expanding its portfolio by establishing a service for first- and last-mile transportation by road (‘drayage’). The concept serves as an optional add-on to CargoBeamer’s regular rail connections by providing a road traction solution for our clients’ semi-trailers. It will commence operations during the second quarter of 2023.

An integrated drayage solution makes intermodal more accessible for both existing and new customers who are working on shifting road transports to rail. Additionally, it allows transportation companies to assess the increasing shortage of truck drivers by optimizing their utilization. The drayage service is offered in the following regions: northern Italy, western Germany & Benelux, northern France, southern France & Northeastern Spain, and large parts of the UK plus Ireland. It will connect all terminals in the network of CargoBeamer to third-party locations, warehouses, and Ro-Ro ports of the region.

First test trials have already been completed on the Kaldenkirchen–Domodossola route, where the transport of semi-trailers in both directions was extended by road to the port of Genoa. Bookings of the new service will be made via the integrated “eLogistics” system of CargoBeamer. When ordering first or last mile transportation, clients can choose between a single or rotational model. All emissions caused by first & last mile transportation by road will be covered by the carbon neutrality program of CargoBeamer and therefore offset by using gold standard certificates.

CargoBeamer has always pursued the goal of making intermodal logistics more accessible to road transport companies across Europe. By adding this drayage service, we are lowering another important barrier that especially held back small and medium-sized freight forwarders from shifting semi-trailers to rail. An integrated trucking service for virtually all types of semi-trailers lowers the costs of organizing intermodal transport significantly and will allow companies with little or no road-to-rail experience to start using CargoBeamer for the first time. Our clients will also benefit from an increased throughput rate of units moved by truck drivers and a fully carbon-neutral supply chain when using CargoBeamer.

Boris Timm, Chief Operating Officer, CargoBeamer

16 MARCH 2023 | Source: COLEEGS