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On The Way

Story Colin Smith

HE DECARBONISATION OF FREIGHT MOVEMENTS

will be a major contributor to global sustainability and climate change targets. One of the world’s biggest logistics players has a clear timeline for achieving carbon neutrality across its broad range of activities and is spreading the net wide to gather early experience with alternative energy sources and technologies.

DB Schenker is a 100% subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn and since 2002 has been the logistics arm of the state-owned German rail operator. The company’s history goes back much further however and in 2022, DB Schenker has been celebrating its 150th anniversary.

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On The Way

To reach its ambitious declared goal of climate-neutrality by 2040, the logistics service provider is continuously investing in innovative transport solutions, renewable energies, and carbon-neutral products.

With 74,200 employees and 2100 locations across more than 130 countries, DB Schenker ranks among the world’s largest freight and logistics operators. The company operates land, air, and ocean transportation services, and it also offers comprehensive solutions for contract logistics and global supply chain management.

In land transport DB Schenker makes more than 100 million shipments each year - or three shipments each second. It

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DB Schenker have been early adopters of Daimler Truck EV models including the Mercedes-Benz eActros and FUSO eCanter.

ranks as Europe’s largest land transport operator (based on turnover), the world’s fourth largest air freight provider (based on tonnage) and is number five worldwide in ocean freight (based on TEU). Its Contract Logistics operations are delivered from 3.4 million sqm of storage area.

A visit to DB Schenker’s Frankfurt depot and the chance to speak with Andrea Goeman, Vice-President of Global Sustainability Portfolio Management, provided a window into a company which has clearly communicated its ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) strategy.

Across all of its operations DB Schenker aims to have made the exit from the use of diesel, aviation kerosene and marine fossil fuels by 2040. Its targets are in-line with a Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi) and the United Nations Paris Climate Agreement of a 1.5degC global warming budget from 2021-2030.

The work has already begun. DB Schenker estimates it has completed more than 1.5 million kilometres with electrically powered trucks in its European land transport network and its adoption of EVs - along with hydrogen and sustainable fuels - is set to ramp up quickly in the next few years.

“This is an absolute transformation for our company. We relied heavily on diesel fuels in the past and now we try to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040,” says Andrea Goeman.

“We cannot do it by ourselves. We need to build alliances with our suppliers and customers.

“Our targets are for the short term and the mid-term. By 2030 we want to reduce our carbon emissions by 20% in air freight and ocean freight and in land transport in Europe it’s 50% reduction by 2030. This is quite ambitious, but we have already started on this journey,” she says.

Those reductions are calculated with 2021 being the base year.

“We also focus on the building sites, especially new buildings using more renewable power like solar and wind power and also using LEDs for example.”

The company is moving to toward procuring renewable power from solar and wind generation and has the target of reaching 100% green electricity use in its buildings by 2025.

DB Schenker has worked closely – but not exclusively – with Daimler Truck for its early battery electric vehicle (BEV) solutions and has been Daimler’s most significant partner in field trials of new electric models.

It was an early adopter of the FUSO eCanter for urban delivery work – deploying its first two electric trucks in Berlin back in 2017. And DB Schenker teamed with Daimler in customer trials of the new Mercedes-Benz eActros distribution truck, starting two years before it went into series production.

“In regard to trucks we focus mostly on e-trucks and our first hydrogen trucks are coming next year as we try out new

innovations in the trucking business,” Goeman says.

She outlines the company’s long term trucking strategy is for BEVs in collection and distribution roles and sees hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs) as the preferred linehaul option.

“In many countries we already have different vehicles operating. We also have e-trucks operating in Japan, Brazil and on a large scale in China. Mostly for the last mile delivery, so the smaller trucks (7.5 tonnes),” she says.

At the beginning of April this year DB Schenker had electrified vehicles working in 14 European nations and it operates Europe’s biggest fleet of FUSO eCanters.

The fleet included 56 e-vans, 49 e-trucks, 62 cargo e-bikes for last mile deliveries and five hybrid trucks. The numbers are continuing to increase rapidly.

Beyond its cooperation with Daimler Truck, DB Schenker is partnering with other truck makers on EV trials. It was among the first companies to work with Volvo when a pre-production FL Electric went into service in Sweden with partner haulier TGM in early 2019.

Urban freight work makes use of the FUSO eCanter and e-bikes for last mile delivery.

Mercedes-Benz eActros and FUSO eCanter at the Frankfurt depot of DB Schenker.

A project using Scania electric trucks is underway to make freight distribution carbon-neutral on the Swedish island of Gotland.

And DB Schenker is already in line as the biggest customer to date signed up for the electric Volta Zero urban delivery truck, pre-ordering almost 1500 of the 16-tonne trucks and scheduled to take delivery of the first production units early next year.

It’s been involved with early trials of the Volta Zero in several major European cities.

The full-electric 16-tonne Volta Zero will be used in DB Schenker’s European terminals to transport goods from distribution hubs to city centres and urban areas. The vehicle’s innovative design, safety-oriented cab to protect vulnerable road users, and zero-tailpipe emission drivetrain will offer a range of benefits.

“Since the beginning of the partnership between DB Schenker and Volta Trucks, we have been in close contact and we continue to move forward with the development of the vehicle together,” says Cyrille Bonjean, Executive Vice President Land Transport at DB Schenker in Europe.

“It’s great to see the results on the streets of Paris now. It all started with an idea: now it’s a reality and we look forward

Andrea Goeman, Vice-President of Global Sustainability Portfolio Management (left) with Frankfurt branch manager Hendrik Nonnenmacher and West area manager Lars Koch.

to adding the first pilot vehicles to the fleet in Europe at the beginning of 2023.”

DB Schenker’s initial foray into hydrogen fuel cell transport for longer distances and heavier applications is with Hyzon trucks leased from German supplier HyLane. used in the Hiringa Energy, Waitomo Petroleum and TR Group project starting in New Zealand next year.

Fuel-cell powered trucks offer several advantages in longdistance transport as compared to battery-electric vehicles: The maximum payload is higher, the range is greater, and the refuelling process comparable to diesel.

DB Schenker expects delivery of its first Hyzon trucks by the end of this year and plans to start field tests with selected customers in the beginning of 2023. It also intends to upscale and commercialise operations beginning in Q3 2023, depending on factors such as hydrogen infrastructure and market acceptance.

In the aim to be carbon-neutral by 2040 the use of green hydrogen (hydrogen produced using renewable energy sources) will be an essential element of the company’s decarbonisation strategy.

An interesting microcosm of DB Schenker’s sustainability efforts in Europe involves Scania electric trucks on the Swedish island of Gotland.

The Gotland region (an island in the Baltic Sea) has set a target to be fossil-free in 2040, five years ahead of Sweden’s national target. One step towards that sees Schenker Åkeri AB take over all distributional transport on the island, and made it fossil-free with the support from Scania.

Four Scania P25 electric distribution trucks and the two

Starting next year the Volta Zero 16-tonne electric truck will play a key role in DB Schenker’s move away from fossil fuels.

Scania PHEV hybrids are a part of DB Schenker’s transition to fossil-free on Gotland. The ambition is to be the world’s top island-region in sustainability with DB Schenker taking on a whole region, ensuring it has fossil-free distributional transports in one go.

“We already operate with electric vehicles throughout Sweden, and know how that works out. Now we take the next step and invest in electrified distribution in a whole region – to really make a difference. On top of that, we gain valuable knowledge on electrified operations both in urban areas with many starts and stops, and in rural areas with distances more than 300 kilometres,” says Viktor Strömblad, Head of Land pa DB Schenker. system solution in a unique environment teaches us a lot about the challenges and possibilities that occur when a complete distribution centre is electrified. Going forward, we see the same potential for DB Schenker’s international truck fleet,” says Evalena Falck, Scania Sales Director, Strategic Account Management.

A FUSO eCanter and a Mercedes-Benz eActros were on site during our visit to DB Schenker’s depot in Frankfurt. The eCanter is regularly driven by Alexander Tamaj who has now gained five years’ experience in electric trucks.

He says the electric driving experience has been fun, not only due to its smooth acceleration and quiet operation.

“The best thing was how people reacted to this truck, especially five years ago when it was new,” says Alexander.

“People have wanted to learn about the truck and our customers are also very interested.”

The Mercedes-Benz eActros 300 had made the 400km trip from Leipzig to Frankfurt with driver Georg stopping once to recharge.

Fitted with an aerodynamic box body by SPIER, the eActros can operate at up to 19 tonnes.

“When I left [Leipzig] my gauge said the range was 362km. The range varies with topography, speed, recuperation and the load and I had to stop once,” Georg says.

“I recharged from 60% to 96% in 50 minutes. I had to take a 45 minute break anyway.”

He says the eActros encourages efficient driving.

“As a driver I am looking to get as much back from the braking [regeneration] as possible. A very good diesel truck driver has to do the same thing, look and plan well ahead.

“It’s smooth and quiet but I do miss the sound of an engine.”

DB Schenker sees the technology and refinement of

An electric and autonomous container feeder vessel is under development for use in Norway.

electric and hydrogen fuel cell trucks as being a positive in attracting younger drivers to the industry and making it a more attractive career choice. It’s estimated that Europe is presently short of 100,000 drivers.

But making trucks run sustainably on Europe’s city streets and highway s is only part of the DB Schenker sustainability solution.

“When you think about air freight and ocean freight it’s more about sustainable fuels at the moment. The big innovations are not there yet but we are offsetting by using sustainable aviation fuels and biofuels,” Andrea says.

Air freight currently represents about 2% of all global greenhouse emissions.

In a pilot programme with Lufthansa, DB Schenker is offering carbon neutral air freight using Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).

SAF refers to sustainable, synthetic kerosene. It is currently produced mainly from biomass, for example from sustainable or recyclable vegetable and cooking oils. In future, non-plant-based renewable fuels will also be available.

During combustion in the engine, only CO2 is released that was previously removed from the atmosphere, for example during plant growth. SAF is thus the first real alternative to fossil aviation fuel and the key to climate-friendly, CO2neutral air traffic.

In addition to the use of more efficient, latest-generation aircraft, SAF is among the most effective levers on the path to a CO2-neutral aviation industry.

“In the long range our ambition is the production of e-fuels out of sustainable electricity. This is the future,” Goeman says.

The best-known production process for this is the socalled power-to-liquid concept (PtL) based on renewable electricity, water, and CO2. While PtL production quantities are still very limited, biomass-based SAF is an already available and well-tested fuel today.

Another unique sustainability project involving DB Schenker and partners is an innovative fully electric and zero-emission coastal container vessel which will operate in Norway.

Having recently signed a pre-study agreement, DB Schenker, and its partners – the furniture giant Ekornes and vessel designers Naval Dynamics, in addition to KONGSBERG and Massterly – will develop a vessel that is the first of its kind in the world.

The new autonomous and electric, short-sea container feeder leverages Naval Dynamics’ NDS AutoBarge 250 concept that was developed in partnership with KONGSBERG and Massterly.

The vessel will operate between Ekornes’ own port, Ikornnes, and the port of Alesund, which serves the main ocean freight ports in Europe.

The 43km journey will be completed within three hours, at a speed of 7.7 knots. The vessel will be 50 meters long and will be able to carry 300 deadweight tons of cargo.

It is designed from the keel up for autonomous and zeroemission operation. It will run without a crew but will be monitored and controlled by staff at Massterly’s Remote Operation Centre (ROC), whose team members include certified navigators and naval engineers.

Andrea Goeman says DB Schenker’s philosophy is that it “wants to be leading” in the sustainability race. She evaluates it current position in the transformation as “on the way”.

“Our plan is underway but there is a long way to go - maybe we are one per cent there. There is a long way to go and we have to go with our customers and our suppliers to move away from fossil fuels,” she says. T&D