Sappi Europe pilots electric truck deliveries with four existing customers

Sappi Europe has launched an electric truck (e-truck) pilot programme with four of its existing customers in the Netherlands and Germany. It aligns with Sappi’s sustainability goals as well as the target set out by the European Commission to achieve net-zero emissions in the EU by 2050, where heavy-duty trucks (HDTs) contribute to 27% of road transport emissions.

Compared to other industries—agriculture, buildings, electricity generation and waste—where greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) have declined steadily since 1990 due to effective changes in regulation, European transport emissions have grown. Sappi is looking at ways to buck this trend.

The e-truck programme started in 2022, with a research project in collaboration with the National Technical University of Athens which analysed the use of e-trucks for Sappi’s distribution. The analysis included the amount of potential carbon savings from operating electric vehicles compared to diesel.

An 80-kilowatt charger, purchased by Sappi, will supply trucks to serve customers within a 120-kilometre radius from Sappi Logistics Wesel, based in Voerde, Germany. Customers within the radius were interviewed to gauge interest. Two customers in Germany—Rehms Druck and Freytag & Petersen—and two in the Netherlands—Senefelder Misset and VistaPrint—have chosen to participate in the pilot.

Sappi joined forces with Seifert—a trusted supplier and mid-sized German 4PL (fourth party logistics) Service Provider —as their e-truck partner, for their existing expertise in launching e-truck logistics as well as their experience with Sappi’s German routes.

The e-truck programme will launch in September 2024 and continue through to 2028.