Wiltshire-based catering supplier apetito has taken delivery of 10 double-deck temperature-controlled trailers equipped with Carrier Transicold Vector HE 19 units. This follows a successful trial of the system and an Eco-Drive-equipped tractor unit, which helped to reduce carbon emissions, deliver significant fuel savings and diminish operating noise. The move will play a key role in apetito’s aim to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040.
Mounted to 13.6-metre Gray & Adams trailers, apetito’s new units replace older Carrier Transicold-equipped reefer trailers in its fleet. The move to the Vector HE 19 came after the company analysed the performance of its trial system, alongside a Renault T480 fitted with Carrier Transicold’s Eco-Drive power module.
“From the moment the combination went into operation, it was clear that Carrier’s flagship technology holds huge potential to help significantly reduce our carbon emissions and fuel expenditure,” said Daniel Paull, Distribution Operations Manager, apetito. “The combination of the Vector unit on the trailer with the ability to power it through the Eco-Drive has provided noticeable savings on both fronts, while the fridge unit’s quiet operating noise is also a welcome bonus. The new trailers will be an ideal next step, and we hope they’ll be joined by more Eco-Drives on our trucks in the future.”
The company’s Vector HE 19 mono-temperature units combine Carrier Transicold’s E-Drive all-electric technology with a new multi-speed engine design, delivering up to 30% fuel savings when compared to the previous generation Vector 1950, providing a significant sustainability advantage. In addition, the system’s fully hermetic scroll compressor and economiser provide a 40% increase in refrigeration capacity during pull-down, as well as a 50% reduction in refrigerant escape, another factor in reducing CO2 emissions.
Carrier Transicold’s Eco-Drive technology will allow apetito to benefit from further fuel and emissions savings throughout its temperature-controlled fleet. The innovative Eco-Drive power module uses a hydraulic pump connected to the truck engine’s power take-off, which drives a generator that delivers the electrical power required to run the company’s Vector HE 19 units. The power is delivered independent of the truck’s engine speed, ensuring 100% refrigeration capacity even when the vehicle is idling.
The Vector HE 19 is also 19% more efficient when plugged into the electrical grid on standby, meaning the units can help to lower diesel, maintenance and electricity costs – being 3 dB(A) quieter than the legacy Vector 1950.
“More of our customers are putting sustainability at the top of their agenda, and apetito is no exception,” said Tony Biggs, Account Manager, Carrier Transicold UK. “Combining the Vector HE 19 with our Eco-Drive technology is the ideal next step on apetito’s decarbonization journey; its aim to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040 also ties with Carrier’s goal of helping customers reduce their carbon footprint by more than one gigaton by 2030.”
Apetito provides chilled and frozen catering services to hospitals, schools, care homes and private customers across the country, with the new trailers expected to be on the road five days a week, covering approximately 120,000 km a year.
