Albert Heijn to supply centers of large cities quietly and cleanly
Zaandam, May 31, 2022 – Albert Heijn is accelerating the sustainability of transport to stores and customers, together with its partners. From the end of 2022, the brand will use 100% electric transport for both home delivery of groceries and suppling its shops in the center of The Hague; Rotterdam, Utrecht and Amsterdam will follow. For customers and local residents, this means quieter and cleaner transport in their areas with the same ease and convenience. In addition, Albert Heijn wants to switch completely to biofuels for all transport by 2024. The overall plan is:
- Inner city of The Hague (city center ring) 100% electric by the end of 2022
- Inner city of Rotterdam (city center ring) 100% electric in the first quarter of 2023
- City center Utrecht (center) 100% electric in the second half of 2023
- Inner city of Amsterdam (city center ring) 100% electric in the second half of 2023
Constantijn Ninck Blok, Director of Logistics & Chain at Albert Heijn: "The demand for transport is growing, partly due to the popularity of home delivery. At the same time, we want to take major steps to reduce CO2 emissions as quickly as possible – we see this as our responsibility. This can only be achieved through good cooperation, so it is fantastic that we are now doing this together with our transport partners in the four major inner cities in the Netherlands. And we are not finished yet -- our ambition goes further: ever quieter and cleaner delivery, of course, focused on convenience, with sufficient availability and always on time for our customers."
By expanding the number of electric trucks and electric delivery cars used and properly planning trips, charging moments and locations, Albert Heijn and its transport partners will ensure that fully electrical deliveries can be made in these city centers.
Albert Heijn is focusing early on the “zero-emission zones” that are expected to be introduced by Dutch cities from 2025 to improve air quality. By 2030, only completely emission-free delivery cars and trucks will be allowed to drive in these zones.
As much biofuel as possible
Until 100% emission-free delivery and supply is possible in the Netherlands, Albert Heijn will reduce CO2 by switching completely to biofuels and renewable diesel by 2024. The brand started switching over to biofuels in 2021, and now has 240 trucks that run on more environmentally friendly LNG fuel. The goal is to expand this to 270 before the end of 2022.
Charging stations
While many customers can cycle and walk to its stores, Albert Heijn also wants to make other forms of sustainable transport as easy as possible. Together with Eneco eMobility, the brand will install 240 electric car charging stations at stores this year.
CO2 reduction
Albert Heijn wants to “Make better food accessible together. For everyone.” To achieve this mission, the company is taking more and more steps to leave the world a better place and has significantly reduced emissions in its own business operations – shops, distribution centers, home delivery and offices. In its own stores, Albert Heijn reduced CO2 emissions by 92.3% compared to 2018, mainly by switching to 100% Dutch wind energy at the beginning of 2021.
Albert Heijn compensates for the remaining emissions in its own operations by contributing to VCS-certified climate projects, making its own business operations climate neutral, and continues to work on further reduction across the supply chain.