SPAR Ireland licence holder BWG Foods has partnered with Coca-Cola and Dixon International Transport to enhance sustainability across its supply chain.

As part of the pilot project, BWG Foods will use fully electric Heavy Goods Vehicles (e-HGVs) for selected deliveries to its distribution centre in Dublin.

The company will use three fully electric Volvo HGVs to deliver Coca-Cola HBC beverages from Lisburn to BWG’s national distribution centre in Dublin.

Further, BWG Foods will use its electric fleet to deliver them to SPAR, EUROSPAR and SPAR Express stores across the country.

With a range of 300km, the e-HGVs will be powered by 100% renewable electricity from Dixon International Transport’s new 500kw solar panel array.

The initiative is expected to reduce carbon emissions by 229 tonnes annually.

BWG Foods trading director Alan Crawford said: “This partnership is an exciting next step in our transition away from fossil fuels to cleaner, more sustainable options. We have already invested significantly in reducing our own emissions across our distribution operations and now we are pioneering partnerships that will extend our positive impact even deeper into our supply chain.

“Our consumers increasingly value genuine progress in environmental sustainability so we will continue to work with suppliers and partners so that together we can increase the pace of innovation and reduce emissions across the sector.”

In March this year, SPAR and BWG Foods, the operator of EUROSPAR in Ireland, revealed plans to open 60 stores in Ireland by 2025.