DFDS: The First Company to Go Commercial with Zero-Emission Refrigeration

The Breakthrough

In November 2024, DFDS became the first logistics company to deploy commercial battery and solar-powered transport refrigeration units in their fleet.

The first 10 Sunswap Endurance units hit UK roads, proving that zero-emission refrigerated transport is here and it doesn’t require a drop of diesel.

Each unit eliminates 89.5 tonnes of CO2 over its lifetime while cutting operating costs by 71%. Showing there is no need to choose between going green and staying competitive.

The Challenge That Started It All

DFDS’s "Moving to Green" strategy set ambitious targets: 75% reduction in land CO2e emissions intensity by 2030 and net zero by 2050. Clear goals and real deadlines. All of which required actual solutions.

The challenge? Selecting a truly zero-emission refrigeration technology that wouldn't compromise on the fundamentals that keep logistics companies in business: reliability, performance, and operational flexibility.

They needed something that could handle tough routes because there's no room for "almost good enough" when you're moving temperature-sensitive goods.

How Sunswap Delivered

The best solutions come from the simplest approach: prove it works, then deliver it.

That's exactly what happened with DFDS. Starting in 2022, we put our Endurance units through their paces on DFDS routes. The ask was “trial Endurance on your most demanding runs.”

Endurance answered. 22 hours of continuous cooling on a single charge. Two consecutive frozen delivery cycles over two days without plugging in. The kind of performance that made everyone sit up and take notice.

The technology proved itself: independently powered with integrated battery and solar power, delivering zero direct emissions while matching diesel performance. A unit that was built to be electric from day one, no compromises on the things that matter, no bolted-on systems.

When the trials wrapped up, DFDS didn't hesitate. They became Sunswap’s first commercial customer, placing the order that launched Sunswap from trials into full-scale production.

Matt O'Dell, DFDS's Managing Director of Cold Chain UK & Ireland, captured it perfectly, "The Sunswap trailers provide a huge opportunity for us to reduce the carbon footprint of our operations and further strengthen our offering to customers."

The Ripple Effect That Followed

However, this is a story bigger than one logistics company making smart choices about future technology. DFDS needed their technology to work flawlessly for their customers too. When you're trailers are handling goods for Greenyard, one of the world's largest fruit and vegetable suppliers, or transporting frozen products for Birds Eye, the stakes get real fast.

DFDS is reducing their own emissions to meet net zero goals and ensuring carbon reduction and savings for customers who demanded the same zero-compromise performance.

The technology delivered. Today, Endurance units power refrigerated trailers carrying thousands of tonnes of premium frozen Birds Eye products annually, while Greenyard's fresh produce moves in trailers kept cool by Endurance without burning a drop of diesel.

This ripple effect proves the technology at scale. It works for DFDS. It works for their customers. And now it's being proven in fleets across the UK, creating a new standard for what zero-emission cold chain logistics looks like in practice.

The Key Facts

• World's first commercial zero-emission refrigeration deployment

• 10 refrigerated trailers operational November 2024

Environmental Impact (10 units, 10 years):

• 895 tonnes CO2 eliminated

• 500,000 litres diesel saved

Financial Performance:

• 71% operating cost reduction vs diesel

• 13% total cost of ownership savings

Proven Capability:

• 22+ hours continuous operation on single charge

• 100% route completion during extensive trials

• Zero performance trade-offs