Cabot completes ‘zero-carbon’ delivery of carbon black

Berlin – Cabot Corp. has completed one of Europe’s first cross-border transports using a heavy-duty zero-emissions electric truck, the company announced 15 Dec. 

For the delivery, from the Dutch port of Rotterdam to Antwerp, Belgium, digital road freight forwarder sennder transported over 17 tonnes of carbon black product for Cabot.

The pilot project was conducted to test the long-term capabilities of 40+ tonne electric trucks. The round trip, including return to base, covered a distance of more than 300km.

Breytner, an operator of zero-emission electric trucks, in association with JV partner Hn Post & Zonen, provided the heavy-duty vehicle, which has a maximum gross vehicle weight of 50 tonnes and a battery range of 150km. 

The truck ran entirely on electricity, with one charge taking place on the way to the destination and another when returning to base, reported Cabot. Each charge, it noted, took about 80 minutes and occurred in The Netherlands, a country with one of the densest charging networks in the world. 

According to Cabot, the pilot project is part of its strategy of engaging with suppliers that offer carbon offsets and sustainable solutions – towards its recently announced goal to achieve net zero emissions globally by 2050.

"We see great potential to help drive toward our net zero ambitions by transforming our transportation fleet to electric and other low carbon vehicles,” said François Zehr, global logistics director at Cabot. 

For sender, head of green business Graham Major-Ex said the company is “committed to giving shippers the best low-carbon transportation options in the industry; both advanced fuels and zero-emissions electric vehicles will play key roles in this. 

“Some doubted whether fully loaded 40+ tonne trucks could travel highway distances on just electricity – we have proven that this is not only possible but something deliverable today.”