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Furniture under power: Raben relies on Volvo Trucks for factory traffic

Published: September 28, 2022
Author: DIGITAL MEDIA EXECUTIVE

Logistics service provider initiates pilot project on electric mobility with IKEA and Volvo 

Raben Group wants to promote the transport revolution and sees great potential in  e-mobility. That is why the European logistics service provider has started a pilot  project together with IKEA Industry and Volvo Trucks in Poland, which should  significantly reduce CO2 emissions. From autumn onwards, electric trucks Volvo  FM will be used in the factory transport of the Swedish furniture manufacturer IKEA. They will shuttle between the Zbaszynek and Babimost factories in western  Poland, which are 12 kilometres apart. On average, one truck makes 14 trips a day.  Raben uses the all-electric tractor unit to transport furniture components, spare  parts and materials for production for IKEA. The Volvo FM Electric with a gross  train weight of 24 tonnes has a battery capacity of up to 490 kilowatt hours and a  range of up to 300 kilometres when fully loaded. The aim of the project is to  increase the efficiency of the transport flow with the help of the electrified trucks. Shared knowledge about the challenges and opportunities of introducing and  transforming electrified transport operations will be used for the electrification of  Raben’s European transport network. 

“For Raben Group, this project is the first step towards decarbonising the fleet in order to  achieve the ambitious CO2 reduction targets,” says Raben Transport Managing Director  Piotr Banasiak. The pilot project is scheduled to run for two years.  

Raben significantly reduces operating costs with the Volvo FM Eletric 

Quiet, emission-free, fast and manoeuvrable: With the all-electric Volvo FM Electric, Raben  is always able to ensure a continuous and efficient flow of goods for IKEA. The furniture  components can thus be provided at the right time and in the desired quantity at any time.  Due to its high efficiency and low maintenance costs compared to diesel vehicles, Raben  can also significantly reduce operating costs. The company expects to reduce CO2  emissions by 80 tonnes per year and truck.Besides a lower carbon footprint on the route,  we aim to learn together about challenges and opportunities in the deployment and transformation of electrified transport operations at scale and its interdependencies in a  larger transport network. Another important factor is the improved efficiency in the transport  flow using electrified trucks. With direct current, the battery can be quickly charged up to  80 percent in just two hours. To increase the overall efficiency of the drive, the excess  energy from braking is used to recharge the batteries. IKEA obtains its electricity from  renewable sources. In addition, the company is planning its own photovoltaic plant with a  capacity of 19 megawatts for the plant’s own needs.  

Raben has joined the SBTi initiative 

The pilot project with IKEA Industry and Volvo Trucks is an important component of  Raben’s corporate strategy to reduce CO2 emissions from transport and from the  maintenance of buildings and warehouse infrastructure by 38,7% percent by 2030  compared to 2020. Therefore, the logistics service provider has joined the international  initiative “Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)”. By joining, Raben commits to setting its  short-term decarbonisation targets. These have already been reviewed by SBTi experts.  In this context, Raben also wants to involve regular hauliers in climate protection by 2026  and set them emission reduction targets. “The set reduction based on the SBTi  methodology is just the beginning. To reach our targets, we also need to involve all our  partners in the entire supply chain,” says Ewelina Jablonska-Gryzenia, Head of  Sustainability.

In Germany, Raben Group employs 3,200 people at 39 locations and has 370,000 m² of storage  capacity and 2,200 means of transport. Worldwide, the company, which was founded in 1931 in  Winterswijk, the Netherlands, is represented in 15 European countries, employs 10,000 people at  165 locations, has approximately 9,000 means of transport and has achieved a turnover of 1.5  billion euros in 2021. The group’s managing director is Ewald Raben, the grandson of the  company’s founder. The Raben Group’s range of services includes contract logistics and  warehouse logistics, national and international distribution as well as sea and air freight transport,  intermodal transport and comprehensive logistics services for fresh produce.  

Pictures (Source: Raben Group) 

      

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