Thermo King drives the decarbonisation of the UK commercial transport at ‘Cold Chain Live! 2024’

Thermo King®, a leader in transport temperature control solutions and a brand of Trane Technologies, showcased its latest innovations and discussed transformative solutions aimed at decarbonising the refrigerated transport industry during the Cold Chain Live! 2024, held on September 4-5. Through presentations and panel discussions, Thermo King underscored its commitment to electrification, hybridisation, energy recovery technology, digitalisation, and innovations in low-noise and low-GWP solutions.

During his presentation, Jon Jerrard-Dinn, commercial sales leader for Thermo King UK, emphasised the critical role of the cold chain in the UK’s journey towards net-zero emissions. “We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to decarbonise the cold chain and the entire commercial transport industry. The technology is already here, and it’s time to adopt these solutions across the board and across all transport segments,” said Jerrard-Dinn.

In a panel discussion focused on cold chain sustainability, resilience and social responsibility, Wouter Roels, aftermarket leader for Thermo King in Europe, Middle East and Africa highlighted the company’s sustainable product strategy. “We have at least one fully electric product in every segment we cover, meaning that we can transport at zero CO2 emissions via road, air and ocean. Additionally, we’re introducing energy recovery systems like AxlePower that harness the free energy generated by a moving trailer,” explained Wouter Roels.

“While pioneering electrification, we are also committed to maintaining our leadership in traditional combustion engine vehicle segments with energy- and fuel-efficient solutions that lower total cost of ownership (TCO) for our customers. We’re adding digitally-enabled functionalities to our units, turning them into smart refrigeration units. These telematics systems help optimize energy use and give fleet operators and drivers real-time access to unit health and operational insights, improving trip performance,” Continued Wouter Roels.

This approach ensures that customers from all sectors can benefit from Thermo King cutting-edge technologies, whether they are transitioning to electric or optimising Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) fleets.

Addressing the challenge of upfront costs, a concern for many UK businesses, Wouter Roels added: “We encourage customers to consider the TCO. Our AxlePower energy recovery system for trailers, for example, offers a payback period of just four years for units running 2,000 hours annually. The same AxlePower system, on average, can reduce CO2 emissions by 7.5 tons per year compared to a diesel transport refrigeration unit (TRU). These solutions don’t just save the planet—they make financial sense.”

Thermo King's message at Cold Chain Live! 2024 was clear: Electrification and hybridisation are not the future — they are the present. With a full range of solutions already available, the UK’s and European cold chain industry has a real opportunity to reduce its carbon footprint and drive meaningful change.

For more information about Thermo King, please visit www.europe.thermoking.com.