Cefetra and Zijderlaan continue joint sustainable mission
Rotterdam/Stolwijk, June 1st, 2023
One year of using Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO): a saving of 730 tons of CO2 emissions. That, in short, is what agricultural commodity supplier Cefetra and logistics service provider Zijderlaan have achieved together by choosing this alternative, fossil-free fuel in 2022. They are proud of that! The success was not a one-time action, because in 2023 Zijderlaan will continue to fill up with HVO for all of Cefetra's shipments driven within the Netherlands. That amounts to some 230,000 liters per year.
Cefetra looks back very positively on the first year of extended cooperation with Zijderlaan and the use of HVO. Ruben Kraaijeveld, Operations Manager Cefetra B.V.: "It has further strengthened the awareness and urgency of the sustainable path we are on. Our customers appreciate this initiative and the pioneering role we are taking in the sector. We have stood for this for 35 years and look forward to continuing to follow this path in the future together with our customers, suppliers and employees and achieve great goals."
Leo Lokker, Commercial & Operations Director at logistics service provider Zijderlaan: "We greatly appreciate the fact that Cefetra was the first to dare to take the step to go full HVO. Together, as sustainability ambassadors, we hope to motivate other companies to make structural changes in their organizations and thus improve their carbon footprint.
Intensifying our sustainable cooperation is very important for the logistics energy transition. The choice of HVO nicely reflects our joint ambition to excel in sustainability."
Sustainable mission
"Cefetra has always been at the forefront when it comes to sustainability," explains Sandra Kraaij, Sustainability Manager at Cefetra B.V.. "We think it is important to consider what further steps we can take to make transport and the products we supply more sustainable. We like to do this in cooperation with other stakeholders, in this case with Zijderlaan. We are proud to have achieved a CO2 reduction together and continue to look at how we can optimize transport even further."
"The sustainability theme fits well within the culture of our family business," says Sabine Zijderlaan, Managing Director. "We think it is important to invest in a sustainable future. Not only for our business operations, but precisely for the preservation of a healthy and beautiful living environment."
Zijderlaan continues: "We never achieve great sustainability results alone. Organization-wide, we pay continuous attention to this. From the driver's capabilities to the purchase of new vehicles with fuel-efficient engines. We also constantly bring the sustainability discussion to the attention of our clients. Reducing CO2 emissions can be achieved in many different ways, as long as together you are open to it and willing to invest. This can be done financially, for example by paying a surcharge for HVO, through research into optimization opportunities within the chain, by looking at various modes of transport or by engaging a sustainability consultant. Anything is possible!"
Road to zero emissions
Cefetra is convinced that Zijderlaan is a good partner to continue to follow developments for making road transport more sustainable and to take the next steps together in the future. Kraaij: "There are still many challenges on the road to electrically or hydrogen powered trucks for heavy transport. Until that happens, we will continue to use HVO to make our transport more sustainable.
Lokker: "We see HVO as the most important measure during the transition to the possible new energy carriers. We can quickly reduce a lot of CO2 with it. However, we do need the support and commitment of our clients for this. We aim to drive 25% of our total volumes on HVO by 2025."
Zijderlaan recently earned the 2nd Lean & Green Star Award for their sustainable efforts. Maik Backx, Sustainability Consultant: "This great recognition shows that we are actively working on many fronts to reduce CO2 emissions, with the long-term goal of offering our services in transport and logistics emission-free."
ABOUT CEFETRA
Supplying agricultural commodities is Cefetra's core business. With 125 years of experience, they are the market leader within the Benelux. Efficient supply chains and logistics make it possible to deliver products from suppliers to their customers in Europe. Cefetra's office is in Rotterdam and they are part of the German BayWa Group.
For more than 15 years, Cefetra has been proactively involved in internal and external initiatives to make its chains more sustainable. This includes involvement in the Round Table for Responsible Soy (RTRS), as well as the development and implementation of the self-developed CRS standard for further sustainable soybean cultivation in South America. They are also working to improve the traceability and transparency of often complex chains. Cefetra does this in cooperation with suppliers, farmers and NGOs. But they are also looking for opportunities to make their logistical processes more sustainable. This includes the partnership with Zijderlaan, with whom Cefetra has been running all Dutch trucking on HVO since January 2022.
ABOUT ZIJDERLAAN
Within the Benelux, Zijderlaan is a professional player in the transport and logistics services. They relieve their clients throughout the entire logistics chain. Within the transport sector they specialize in loose bulk, general cargo, container and bulk transport. Zijderlaan also provides storage, transshipment and various VAL activities from their warehouses in Stolwijk, Steenbergen and Puttershoek.
Zijderlaan is a family business, founded in 1937 and managed by the third generation. Sustainability has been high on the agenda as one of its core values for many years. Logistic transport flows, gas, energy and diesel oil consumption (the footprint) are continuously analyzed in order to optimize and reduce CO2 emissions wherever possible. Zijderlaan is "Continuously Green in Motion".
