Tesco Ireland is to switch to using biomethane gas to fuel its transport fleet.

In a significant move, the retailer has taken delivery of 50 state-of-the-art biomethane-fuelled trucks, which will operate across its country-wide distribution network.

The new biomethane trucks are coming on stream as part of Tesco's strategy to reduce its carbon footprint and enhance the environmental sustainability of its operations.

The trucks will immediately replace 50 diesel units, cutting down tailpipe carbon emissions by up to 90%.

The biomethane fleet will be operated by Tesco’s transport partner DHL and the trucks will be used to transport produce to stores from its distribution centres in Dublin.

AD plants

The renewable fuel for the trucks will come from Irish and European anaerobic digestion (AD) plants and the trucks will refuel at the newly opened BioCNG refuelling station operated by Flogas at nearby St Margaret’s in north Dublin.

DHL last year announced that it would start operating biomethane HGVs, with a €80m investment into a new dedicated AD plant in Cork, run by Stream BioEnergy.

Range

Each truck has a range capacity of 700km on a full tank of biomethane gas, which allows the truck to reach any of its 177 stores and return without refuelling.

Each truck will complete an average of 15 to 20 truckloads of store deliveries across the country each week from Letterkenny to Kerry to Dublin.

Speaking about the switch to biomethane, Tesco Ireland retail and distribution director Ger Counihan said: “Our network is one of the most sophisticated distribution networks in the country.

"More than 1,800 journeys are made from our distribution centres every week to our 177 stores.

"We have worked hard with DHL to prepare for the switch from diesel to biomethane trucks and this move to cleaner energy will reduce the carbon emissions created by this fleet considerably.”