Tesco: Leading UK Retail's Transition to Zero-Emission Cooling

The Breakthrough

In February 2025, five Sunswap Endurance units began operating at Tesco's Peterborough depot, marking the first deployment of battery and solar-powered transport refrigeration by the UK's largest grocer.

Tesco integrated zero-emission refrigeration directly into their operational fleet, handling the complex demands of retail cold chain delivery. The battery and solar-powered units now transport fresh produce, dairy, and frozen foods in separate compartments during single delivery runs – exactly the kind of triple temperature complexity that makes retail logistics demanding.

The Challenge That Started It All

Tesco faces ambitious sustainability commitments: carbon neutrality across their own operations by 2035 and net zero across their value chain by 2050. Every diesel engine running transport refrigeration was a barrier to achieving these goals.

Fleet operations needed a solution that could handle Tesco's demanding delivery requirements across multiple temperature zones without operational compromise. Traditional diesel systems were reliable but fundamentally incompatible with sustainability objectives.

Cold chain operations couldn't afford experimental technology. Any electric alternative needed to prove itself capable of matching diesel performance across frozen, chilled, and ambient applications before earning a place in permanent operations.

How Sunswap Delivered

The progression from trial to deployment tells the story. Sunswap's July-August 2023 trial with Tesco demonstrated that electric refrigeration could operate across three temperature setpoints and various delivery distances, even during peak summer conditions.

The trial revealed something crucial: Endurance units could run for extended periods using solar energy alone, completing delivery cycles without operational disruption. This wasn't hybrid technology requiring complex integration – it was a complete replacement for diesel systems.

What made the difference was Sunswap's purpose-built approach. Rather than retrofitting existing diesel technology, Endurance was designed from the ground up as an electric system, integrating trailer-top solar panels with modular batteries optimised specifically for transport refrigeration demands.

Following trial success, Tesco committed to permanent deployment. The five units now operating at Peterborough handle the full spectrum of retail cold chain requirements, from frozen foods requiring precise low temperatures to fresh produce needing careful climate control.

Industry Impact

When the UK's largest retailer commits to electric refrigeration, it validates the technology for the entire industry. Tesco's deployment demonstrates that zero-emission cold chain operations are no longer experimental – they're operationally viable at scale.

This matters beyond Tesco's own operations. The retail giant's validation provides confidence for other operators evaluating electric alternatives. For sustainability managers balancing environmental goals with operational requirements, it proves that effective solutions exist.

The deployment also accelerates broader industry adoption. Major retailers often serve as proving grounds for new technologies. When innovations succeed at Tesco's scale and complexity, they typically see rapid uptake across the sector.

The Key Facts

Commercial Milestone

• First permanent electric refrigeration deployment for UK's largest retailer

• 5 Endurance units operational at Peterborough depot from February 2025

• Triple temperature capability: frozen, chilled, and ambient in single delivery runs

• Full integration into operational fleet replacing diesel systems

Environmental Impact

• Zero direct emissions from transport refrigeration

• Elimination of diesel fuel consumption during cooling operations

• Direct contribution to Tesco's 2035 carbon neutrality commitment

• Solar energy generation reducing grid electricity dependence

Technical Performance

• 24-hour frozen operation capability on single charge

• Extended chilled operation using solar supplementation

• Reliable performance across multiple temperature zones

• Purpose-built electric design optimised for efficiency

Operational Proof

• Successful transition from 2023 trial to permanent deployment

• Maintained performance during demanding summer trial conditions

• Seamless integration with existing fleet operations

• Proven reliability across diverse delivery requirements

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