The Trend Towards Electric Refrigeration Units is Gaining Momentum

The trend towards the electrification of transport refrigeration units is gaining momentum in Europe – particularly in countries like France with more and more urban “Zero-Emission” zones. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Thermal Transport Europe GmbH (MTTE) confirms this market development and supports customers across Europe in electrifying their refrigeration units.

(Osnabrück) “Transporters active in city and regional distribution must increasingly prepare for zonal diesel driving bans in metropolitan areas. They are looking for emission-free solutions to continue offering their refrigeration logistics services everywhere,” says Andreas Kelch, MTTE Sales Manager for Western Europe. “With our portfolio of electric refrigeration units from Mitsubishi, we provide suitable devices for all vehicle classes – from the TEK series for small vans to the TEF for trailers.” The offering is receiving great resonance, especially in France with many “Zone à Faibles Émissions mobilité” (ZFE-m). In these strictly regulated environmental zones, driving bans also apply in certain urban delivery areas. Freight forwarders like MTTE’s new customer Delanchy Transports want to gradually equip their fleet with locally emission-free refrigeration units. The company from La Gravelle in Brittany is one of the largest food logistics providers in France and operates more than 1,000 refrigerated vehicles. Delanchy ordered a trailer refrigeration unit from Mitsubishi for the first time in June and plans to use the fully electric TEF 1500 variant as soon as it becomes available.

Reduce the Fleet’s CO₂ Footprint as Quickly as Possible

Delanchy operates throughout France and in neighboring countries Italy, Spain, and the Benelux region in the fresh service sector. The refrigerated vehicles deliver next-day service to most major supermarket chains with fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and seafood. “We want to reduce the CO₂ footprint of our fleet as quickly as possible and have already deployed 70 trucks with biodiesel and nine electric trucks for this purpose,” explains Yannig Renault, Technical Director of Delanchy Transports. “For alternative drives, we rely on battery-electric trucks for regional distribution and biodiesel from rapeseed for long-distance transport.” The latter fuel is a cost-effective alternative in France with a significantly lower CO₂ footprint, which is widely used in logistics. Delanchy is also pursuing a consistent strategy for CO₂ reduction with its refrigeration units. In this context, MTTE presented its current product portfolio of fully electric refrigeration units to the customer, which is summarized under the brand “Preciso.” Delanchy is also active in renewable energy production: All five branches have installed PV systems that already cover about 30 percent of the energy needs of the respective locations.

Continuous Expansion of the Product Portfolio

As the European general importer of Japanese Mitsubishi refrigeration systems, MTTE is continuously expanding its product portfolio and service network in Europe. The focus of the expansion is on the strategy for the gradual electrification of all device classes – from the transporter refrigeration unit to the trailer refrigeration unit. In this process, MTTE is continuously expanding the portfolio of the electric “Preciso” series. “While not all routes of our customers can yet be electrified for truck drives, the operation of fully electric refrigeration units is fundamentally possible in all vehicle classes.”

Photo: © Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Thermal Transport Europe GmbH (MTTE)