HAVI-Scania to run 16 gas-fueled vehicles for McDonald’s in Spain

HAVI, a global, privately owned supply chain company, plans to add 14 gas-fueled vehicles from Scania to McDonald’s supply chain in Spain before 2019. HAVI is McDonald’s leading logistics provider that distributes products to its restaurants from its distribution centers in Madrid and Barcelona. 12 of them will run on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and two will run on compressed natural gas (CNG).

The trucks are designed to generate virtually zero air pollution and significantly reduce carbon emissions in cities. LNG and CNG reduces carbon emissions by about 20 percent. With gas engines, the McDonald’s supply chain is also future-proof for liquified and compressed biogas which can be blended into the natural gas or replace it entirely, enabling possible reductions of CO2 emissions by up to 90 percent ( according to Natural & bio Gas Vehicle Association (NGVA Europe)), once broadly available in the market.

Equipped with a low-noise engine and cooling equipments, the trucks are claimed to be much quieter than conventional delivery vehicles, helping to further reduce the impact of urban deliveries. In Madrid, the vehicles will be fitted with special electrically-driven cooling equipment to cut carbon emissions and noise levels even further.

McDonald’s logistics network transports food products more than 250 million miles every year. McDonald’s is working with its suppliers and their partners to minimise the environmental footprint on its logistics activities. In March 2018, McDonald’s became the first restaurant company in the world to address global climate change by setting a verified target by the Science Based Target initiative to significantly reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

The HAVI-Scania greener fuels roadmap aligns directly with MOVALT, a Spanish government scheme that promotes the transition of road transport fleets to low-emission vehicles. This initiative supports McDonald’s ‘Scale for Good’ initiative, focusing on priority areas to drive industry-wide change on some of the most pressing environmental and social challenges the world is facing today: Beef Sustainability, Commitment to Famillies, Climate Action, Packaging & Recycling, and Youth Opportunity. The companies are accelerating the five-year roadmap that aims to cut CO2 emissions from the restaurant chain’s delivery vehicles.

John Alves, managing director, McDonald’s Spain, says, “Innovation is absolutely critical to our sustainability journey and to use our scale for good. Our work with companies like HAVI and Scania takes a proactive approach to finding and implementing more sustainable supply chain solutions, and contributes to our global supply chain and sustainability strategy.”

Rafael Gómez, senior vice president, operations and freight management, HAVI says, “As McDonald’s lead logistics provider, we have the clear commitment to support the business’s Scale for Good and all their associated sustainability initiatives. We want to be a frontrunner at changing towards new standards for urban deliveries and implementing specific measures to benefit the environment and communities where we operate.”

Sebastian Figueroa, managing director, Scania Iberia says, “This partnership is an example of how transport companies, logistic provider and trucks manufacturers can work together to lead the shift towards a sustainable transport system. It is encouraging to see more and more customers and customers’ customers demanding this type of solution.”