|
|
Page: Home > LPG forklift truck case studies > Sainsbury's |
|
Sainsbury's
Calor drives Sainsbury's to Planet PositiveTM
 |
Calor, the UK’s leading supplier of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG),
has helped Sainsbury’s create the world’s first Planet Positive™ building by powering a fleet of seven Toyota forklift trucks
LPG is a high octane cleaner burning fuel, resulting in less carbon build up in forklift truck engines, less oil contamination and less overall engine wear and achieves a 95% reduction in NOx emissions compared
to diesel1.
At its Northampton depot,Sainsbury’s believes it has
created a facility with thelowest carbon footprint of any depot of its type and has used a wide range of greener construction methods and energy efficient systems, which include LPG powered forklift
trucks, to reach its goal.
|
Download case study
 (296 Kb)
|
|
Opportunities to minimise mileage and delivery time
 The supermarket chain considered a number of elements in the construction of the depot, starting with its location which has been chosen as it offers opportunities to minimise mileage and delivery time to stores.
A combined heating, cooling and power unit provides a significant proportion of the depot’s electricity through the reclamation of heat energy, keeping the building warm in winter
and cool in summer, and a day-lit roof has been installed to minimise artificial lighting. A solar wall generates energy, whilst increased insulation substantially reduces the amount of building heating required, and a rain water collection and recycling system reduces mains water usage.
|
Respect for Our Environment
|
 Derek Boghurst, Sainsbury’s Material Handling Manager, Logistics, explains: “One of our company principals is ‘Respect for Our Environment’ and we wanted to introduce a more
environmentally friendly truck to our Northampton depot, that is as efficient as a diesel powered truck but with the environmental advantages”
The fleet of Toyota trucks are fitted with fixed fuel tanks which have an increased fuel capacity and require fewer refuelling stops, compared to cylinders, thus reducing
the amount of time when the trucks are unavailable for use, and increasing productivity.
Toyota Account Manager, Steve Cole, says LPG was the obvious choice when it came to choosing a fuel for the depot’s material handling needs thanks to its greener credentials. He says “LPG delivers a number of benefits compared to diesel, including reduced emissions2, which allows fork lift trucks to operate in more sensitive areas, an important consideration when transporting consumable goods.
In today’s stringent food environment, health and safety is a priority. Using LPG powered fleets eliminates the unsightly black soot spots that can appear on packaged goods when diesel fork lift
trucks are used, making them ideal for use in sensitive areas, including food depots.”
An LPG forklift truck, fitted with a three way catalytic converter and closed loop engine control system, monitors and adjusts its fuel to air mixture 1,000 times a second to give optimum burn, cutting fuel consumption by up to 20% making them a sound energy-efficient choice. Steve continues, “Of further benefit to Sainsbury’s in this particular application, was the flexibility of refuelling from a bulk tank, as opposed to a battery management system required for electric forklift trucks in comparable 24/7 operations. Also, recycling is less complex with no traction battery to consider.
|
Calor is sure to provide the solution
|
 Calor has proven itself to be a sustainable supplier, recycling the steel used in itsLPG cylinders, but only when required. Dr Terry Ritter, Calor’s Safety, Health and Environment Manager comments, “Our cylinders have a life-cycle of at least fifteen years and, after that time, are inspected, requalified and re-valved and, if necessary, refurbished and used for another fifteen years before the cycle is repeated. When cylinders can no longer be reused, the steel is recycled for re-use.”
Calor has also taken steps to reduce the carbon emissions produced by its delivery fleet. Since the introduction of The Think Tank® technology, which automatically notifies Calor when a customer
is running low on gas and requires a delivery, the distance travelled by delivery trucks has
fallen by almost one million kilometres as journeys are only made when they are needed.
Calor has been supplying LPG for over 70 years. We have more experience and technical expertise than any other LPG supplier in the UK. Calor has the most comprehensive distribution network in the UK, with more than 10,0003 retail outlets, and the UK’s largest LPG storage facilities and LPG tanker fleet.
Bulk tank customers can also benefit from The Think Tank® - Calor’s unique telemetry system which
is designed to ensure that customers never need to worry about running out of fuel. All backed up by a
totally committed specialist workforce who provide an all day, every day, emergency call out service
The scale of our operation is matched only by the range of applications which we have developed and supported. As well as familiar uses like heating, hot water and catering, LPG can power cars, buses, vans, forklift trucks, generators and many other commercial and industrial applications. In fact, if you have a power or fuel requirement, the versatility of Calor is sure to provide the solution.
Sources
1 Tests results generated by independent test body on behalf of Calor Gas Ltd at Millbrook Proving Ground. Test Date: March 2000.
Report no MBKOO/0373
2 Diesel - 0.250kWh, LPG - 0.214kWh. Source: The Carbon Trust
3 Calor Retail List 2008
< Back to Case Studies
|
|
|
LPG forklifts home
Sainsbury's
