DHL Supply Chain, the international logistics company, has announced an investment worth €80 million into a dedicated biomethane production facility in Co. Cork.
The investment is part of the company’s plans to begin operating biomethane fuelled trucks across its Irish transport network.
The 10-year deal with Stream BioEnergy, which will own and operate the biomethane production facility, will result in the creation of 130 jobs.
The proposed facility at Little Island will process 90,000 tonnes of industry and consumer food waste annually which may otherwise have been sent to landfill.
Biomethane
Biomethane is a renewable gas with the capacity to be carbon neutral.
The new facility in Cork will provide fuel for up to 150 trucks, resulting in an annual carbon (CO2) reduction of 15,000t.
This is the equivalent of more than 38 million miles driven by an average petrol-powered passenger vehicle.
DHL will decarbonise nearly 23% of the retail transport sector in Ireland through the launch of the first phase of its biomethane roll-out in partnership with Tesco Ireland.
Once the new facility, which is currently in the planning process, is fully functioning, DHL will operate 92 locally fuelled biomethane trucks across Tesco’s country-wide network.
Managing director of DHL Supply Chain, Ireland, Ciaran Foley said: “We are extremely proud to be enhancing renewable energy production here in Ireland and our collaboration with Tesco marks a significant step in our shared journey towards achieving net-zero emissions.
“Our customers’ transport networks are a vital focus area when looking at how they can achieve their overall sustainability goals so by making alternative fuels a reality we can really prove our value as a strategic partner.”
Tesco Ireland’s retail and distribution director, Ian Logan added: “Our current HGV transport fleet makes over 2,000 trips weekly, serving our growing network of 166 stores nationwide, so moving to a cleaner fuel in our value chain will play a vital role in achieving this”.