Sainsbury’s is to trial a refrigerated delivery truck cooled by a liquid nitrogen-powered engine in what is claimed to be the first in the world.
The zero-emission cooling unit replaces the traditional diesel engine used to chill the vehicle.
The technology, supplied by Dearman and its partners, is expected to help cut 1.6 tonnes of CO2 during the three-month trial.
That’s equivalent to driving more than 14,500 kilometres in a modern family car.
Around 37kg of Nitrogen Oxides and 2kg of particulate matter are also expected to be saved compared to a similar diesel system.
Sainsbury’s has set a target of cutting emissions by 30% by 2020.
Head of Sustainability Paul Crewe said: “This trial with Dearman is just one of the innovations we’ve introduced to help us towards this goal. Their zero-emission system is really exciting, to be running a liquid air engine quite literally means our cooling is running on thin air!”
Another three-year trial involves Sainsbury’s using natural refrigerant trailers.