Logistics giant DSV has joined forces with Arla Foods, Danish Crown and ferry operator DFDS to create a new transport corridor delivering climate-neutral food from Denmark to the UK.

DSV and DFDS will conduct a pilot test on the use of electric trucks and electric refrigerated trailers for transporting dairy and meat products to Esbjerg, Denmark and for distribution in the UK, whilst food manufacturer Danish Crown plans to test the use of electric trucks to collect pigs.

The scope of the transport corridor will be expanded over time as the use of electric trucks, electric refrigerated trailers and the development of greener fuels are tested, phased in and scaled up. The companies plan to achieve climate-neutral food transports from Denmark to the UK by 2030.

Morten Kjærgaard, vice president, DSV Road, said: “A climate-neutral transport corridor needs not only commercial commitment but also the political will to expand the infrastructure. There’s no snap solution to solving the climate crisis, and that’s precisely why teaming up across sectors like we are doing now is so important.”

Anders Michael Christensen, DFDS Logistics vice president, said that the company is excited to be one of four large companies teaming up for the project to promote and deliver on the “green transition”. He added: “We need to collaborate across the value chain to solve the climate crisis”.

Bo Svane, Arla head of logistics, said both Arla and Danish Crown have committed to becoming climate-neutral by 2050.

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“We can only achieve that by joining forces, and DFDS and DVS are of a similar mind. Together, we want to explore and develop the opportunities already available to us today, rather than wait for new technologies,” he added.

Lars Feldskou, Group CPO of Danish Crown, said the partnership for the corridor chimes with its ambition to lead the way in the green transition of the food industry.

“We’ll be opening a new factory in the UK this autumn, and with the corridor in place by 2030, we’ll be able to offer our British customers food products that have been transported all the way from farms in Denmark to supermarkets in the UK without impacting the environment,” he added.

The first charging points for electric trucks have already been installed at a number of locations in Denmark, with more to come including chargers capable of handling heavy-duty traffic, at various sites, including at the harbour in Esbjerg and at Danish Crown and Arla locations in Denmark.

The partnership has been working on the development of the transport corridor over the past year and will begin gathering data next year to measure its effects on the climate.