DHL Global Forwarding, Freight, and Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease, have expanded their partnership, which began in 2015, by introducing hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) as a sustainable alternative to diesel for European road transport of pharmaceutical products.
This initiative marks a significant step towards reducing the environmental impact of logistics, with HVO cutting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by up to 90% compared to conventional diesel fuel. The collaboration covers both domestic and international routes from Dublin and Athlone.
Maurice Meade, Managing Director at DHL Global Forwarding Freight Ireland said, “This is another step in the right direction as we strive to run more sustainable operations for our customers that reduce the inherent Greenhouse emissions in transporting goods. We are delighted to see Alexion be one of the trailblazers to make this significant switch in approach and thereby follow up on their sustainability goals with clear actions.”
Alexion is setting new standards for sustainable pharmaceutical logistics with this shift. Sylvia Kiely, Vice President of Global Supply Chain and Product Strategy at Alexion said, “Today’s announcement with DHL to move from Diesel to HVO fuel is another milestone in our commitment to reducing our environmental impact and dependency on fossil fuels within our global supply chain in relation to Scope 3. By working with our partners such as DHL to extend eco-conscious practices to our full freight network, we can further minimize our environmental impact and dependency on fossil fuels within our global supply chain.”
With 500 HVO-based deliveries annually to ten European countries, the DHL and Alexion collaboration sets a new benchmark for sustainable logistics in the pharmaceutical sector.
This initiative aligns with DHL’s sustainability strategy, which aims for net-zero logistics-related emissions by 2050. The partnership highlights DHL’s ability to offer customised solutions while contributing to the decarbonisation of the transport and logistics industry.