Australia’s distance and the utilization of road transport to convey pharmaceuticals and food commodities mean that transport refrigeration is a central part of the country’s supply chain. With the nation confronting climate change and reducing greenhouse gases, the refrigerated transport sector is under the microscope for sustainability. Transport refrigeration sustainability is a necessity now rather than a desire and innovations are paving the path to a sustainable future. Right from cleaner technologies to best-of-breed system design, Australia is undergoing an environmental revolution for transporting perishables with minimal impacts on the environment.
The Environmental Cost of Traditional Refrigeration
Refrigeration transportation systems previously utilized diesel powered engines to offer controlled temperatures within refrigerated trailers and trucks. Such engines emit lots of carbon dioxide and other toxins, resulting in air pollution and global warming. In high-density urban areas where delivery vehicles operate around the clock, such emissions can be quite poor. And the refrigerants used in such systems – HFCs – have high global warming potential (GWP) and therefore enhance the environmental footprint of cold chain logistics. The challenge is to balance the need for efficient and reliable cooling with sustainable practices aligned with national and international environmental goals.
Transition to Low Emission Refrigeration Technologies
One of the biggest developments in sustainable transport refrigeration in Australia is the use of low emission and zero emission technologies. Electric refrigeration units are becoming increasingly popular as a suitable alternative to traditional diesel powered systems. They are quiet, have lower emissions and can be powered using renewable energy sources if plugged into a solar or wind powered grid. In Australian cities like Sydney and Melbourne last mile delivery using electric trucks with installed refrigeration units is becoming quite popular. Installation of refrigeration units for trucks is now done in such a way as to make the cars efficient enough for electric drivetrain, hence eliminating fuel costs as well as servicing.
Natural Refrigerants and Green Alternatives
Another monumental industry change is utilizing natural refrigerants. In contrast to HFCs, natural refrigerants such as CO₂, ammonia and hydrocarbons have very low GWP and are finding their way into new refrigeration equipment. Australian businesses are making investments in research and development to retrofit existing units or build new ones that can work efficiently with these chemicals. CO₂ is working well for transport refrigeration as it’s not flammable and has good heat transferring properties.
Policy, Regulation and Industry Support
Government policy is encouraging sustainable practice in Australia’s transport refrigeration sector. Incentives for electric vehicles and business grants to implement cleaner technology are driving industry change. The Australian Government has also provided funding through the National Electric Vehicle Strategy and Clean Energy Finance Corporation to allow businesses to implement sustainable logistics. Rebates and state funding are offered by state programs to operators to transition to low emission refrigeration technology.
Future Trends and Consumer Expectations
Consumer reports on sustainability are driving supply chain choices all over the country. As Aussies demand better environmental performance from our products and services we are seeing companies put in more of an effort to report on what they are doing to lower their carbon footprint. This change in what consumers care about is putting a boot to the back of innovation and adoption of clean tech. We are seeing in the field the use of solar on trucks which will power the refrigeration units, development of super insulating materials which will drop energy use, and in-depth smart tech for real time temperature and energy use monitoring. Also we will see data used in new ways to improve the efficiency of transport refrigeration which in turn will reduce waste and improve sustainability at every stage of the supply chain.
