Capital Equipment News July 2016

TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS

SCANIA: Part of the solution

S tudies show that by 2030 there will be over two billion vehicles on the world’s roads, which in turn will lead to increased carbon dioxide in the earth’s atmosphere and a subsequent increase in global warming. According to a UN report published in July 2014, over half of the world’s population lives in urban areas and this proportion is expected to increase to 66 per cent by 2050, with much of the shift taking place in Africa. The move to urban- isation leads to an increased use of trans- port so if we are to limit further damage to our environment, it is vital that those of us living on this continent adopt green technol- ogies. This was the theme at Scania’s 2016 Conference on Sustainability. Reducing carbon footprint is a major force behind environmental change and many companies have built sustainability into their business strategies so that com- petitiveness, once restricted to product development, now includes achieving sus- tainability levels that are in line with the ethical, social and environmental stan- dards in whichever countries they operate. Scania has a holistic view of the transport system in which different forms of trans- port, infrastructure, policy, and business models are linked. Being part of an indus- try that contributes to pollution, Scania therefore believes it has a responsibil- ity also to be a part of the solution and spends considerable effort on establishing ‘greener’ ways of powering vehicles. The company is currently a frontrunner in gas, ethanol and biodiesel solutions.

A leading a manufacturer of heavy duty vehicles, Scania has a tradition of consid- eration for the environment. The company has introduced various product innovations that have helped customers dramatically reduce costs and carbon emissions while continuously improving road safety. It goes further though and to ensure that its vehi- cles can operate across the world, Scania has extended its approach and works with partners to reduce dependency on fossil fuels by involving itself in the creation of fuel for local transport that is sustainable. According to Anthony King, key account manager alternative fuels at Scania South Africa, the concept of sustainability is im- mersed in the company. “We are in the process of establishing a footprint for Afri- ca and have embarked on a programme of working with various governmental bodies to create an awareness of the benefits of renewable energy by promoting the use of sustainable transport in all spheres of our economy,” he explains. He notes that with more politicians and businessmen throughout Africa becoming interested in and aware of the need for sustainability, there is every chance that the continent will play catch-up with the rest of the world and, by focusing on sus- tainability at this stage, be able to ‘leap- frog’ from poor quality diesel straight to Euro-5 and Euro-6 technology, while pro- viding a social solution through creating biofuel from first generation biomass al- though second generation biofuels could also be an option.

Nomonde Kweyi, Marketing & Commu- nications Manager; Scania South Africa, confirms this, adding that when planning longer term solutions, transport companies must remember that they can immediate- ly lower their carbon footprints and save fuel costs simply by implementing a Driver Training programme. “A well trained driver can reduce fuel expenses by as much as 15%, and this will also lead to a reduction in emissions,” she says. Because Scania has a global engine plat- form that is based on a modular engine concept, customers with access to differ- ent fuels are able to opt for engines with outstanding environmental performance and fuel efficiency, no matter where they are. The Scania modular engine solution has standardised interfaces between com- ponent series, enabling clients to install solutions with improved performance in engines that are required to meet differ- ent fuel types. Through the use of com- pression and spark ignition technologies, Scania is able to offer engines suitable for biodiesel, ethanol, biogas and natural gas. To ensure the success of its sustainability strategy, Scania has the technical leader- ship with the right power train irrespective of whether it involves diesel, biofuels or future electrical solutions. On the product front, Scania’s main focus in the future will continue to be on sustainable transport and alternative fuels. b

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CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS JULY 2016