Castle Donington, UK: Moran Logistics has competed a 10-day trial of Sunswap’s Endurance, electric fridges. The10-day trial of the battery and solar-powered technology put the system routes for Moran’s contract with Arla Foods and demonstrated Sunswap Endurance’s performance in transporting goods at 2°C.
Data shows that Endurance was capable of operating solely on solar energy throughout the trial period. The solar panels on the trailer’s roof are a key element of the Sunswap system, reducing the need for grid charging, increasing range flexibility, and lowering costs by minimising the need for additional battery modules, Sunswap said.
The Moran team used solar power and grid charging to better understand the system’s versatility and ease of integration into their existing operations. This trial builds upon Sunswap’s previous trials such as with Muller and Gist, which ran entirely on solar power for two weeks. The consistent performance across various logistics environments further validates the technology’s effectiveness and reliability in real-world scenarios, Sunswap said.
The trial demonstrated projected savings with 79% reduction in operational expenses and a 27% decrease in total cost of ownership compared to traditional diesel units.
Beyond financial advantages, the environmental impact is substantial. If Moran were to equip 260 trailers with Sunswap Endurance units, Moran could eliminate 26,979 tonnes of CO2 and remove 261 tonnes of NOx from the atmosphere.
Nick Mackay, transport operations director, Moran Logistics, said: “The Sunswap Endurance unit quickly proved itself, performing exactly as we needed – just like any other fridge in our fleet, but with zero emissions. This trial has shown us that we don’t need to compromise on performance to achieve our sustainability goals.”
Alastair Gough, head of business development, Sunswap, said: “Our trial with Moran Logistics further validates the effectiveness of our battery and solar-powered refrigeration technology. The Endurance unit could have run entirely on solar demonstrating that sustainable solutions can seamlessly integrate into existing logistics operations.”
