Hultsteins in cool US/UK sustainability swap
Cold Chain Federation member Hultsteins has teamed up with US renewables specialist Green Road Energy in a move to bring each company’s carbon and cost saving transport solutions to both sides of the Atlantic.
Based in Lakeland, Florida, Green Road Energy is a designer and producer of energy preservation systems which harness wind, solar power and vehicle-generated electricity to provide low-cost clean energy for auxiliary systems on trucks and trailers.
The company’s innovative TAG (turbine auxiliary generator) system is fast becoming popular with fleet operators in the US. Mounted to the trailer chassis and using simple wind-turbine technology, the system bypasses the alternator and engine to generate electricity for tail lifts, fridge units, lighting and auxiliary batteries.
While the vehicle is on the road, says Green Road Energy, the TAG system significantly reduces diesel fuel consumption and emissions as it constantly generates renewable wind energy, displaces carbon-intensive power sources and brings operating costs down.
Trailer refrigeration – without the diesel
Designed specifically to bypass the diesel engine on all conventional trailer refrigeration units, Hultsteins’ ecogen2 is a slim-fit hydraulic drive generator which plugs in to any marque of TRU to supply a constant 400-volt, 3-phase electrical power, even at idle.
Connected to the tractor’s PTO, ecogen2 draws power directly from the tractor engine. The energy produced powers the trailer’s refrigeration unit on electric standby during transit, all the while reducing CO2 by around 90%, DPM by 90% and NOx by around 400%. Thereby virtually eliminating all harmful diesel emissions and permanently keeping costs down.
Reynolds Logistics, the national food service provider, is now in its third year with Hultsteins and has recently placed a third order for ecogen2, bringing the total to 15. Not only this, but the company is also taking two TAG systems to test on its temperature- controlled rigid units.
“Both these energy efficient systems are easy to retrofit and use inexpensive, basic technologies to reduce running costs and slash harmful emissions,” says Hultsteins’ UK Managing Director Graham Usher. “ecogen is widely used in Europe and the TAG system is quickly making a name for itself in the US. Now, with this new alliance, operators on both sides of the water can benefit from these innovative, non-polluting and affordable alternatives to diesel power.”
Further to a recent visit to Hultsteins in England, Green Road Energy’s Chief Technical Officer, Brian Arnold commented: “I had the opportunity to see the ecogen2 in action and was thoroughly impressed by its innovative approach to sustainable refrigeration. Recognizing its potential to transform the transportation industry, I was motivated to bring this cutting-edge technology to the United States.
“After successful negotiations,” added Brian, “Green Road Energy is now proud to be the official distributor of ecogen2 in America, offering fleet operators a powerful solution to enhance efficiency and reduce environmental impact.”
More about Hultsteins here: https://www.hultsteins.co.uk/
More about Green Road Energy here: https://www.greenroadenergy.com/
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