The calculation is simple: The less CO2 produced during transport, the more environmentally friendly the end product. The shift from road to rail is one of the first steps towards a carbon neutral supply chain. For those who want even more, DB Cargo has been offering carriage with 100% renewable power under the DBeco plus name since 2010 – for a carbon neutral transport chain. Interest in DBeco plus has gradually increased in recent years and initially led to an expansion of the service to Austria and the Netherlands. Now DBeco plus plus is also available for rail freight transport in Poland.
DB Cargo: an important partner for Volkswagen Logistics in climate protection
Volkswagen Group Logistics has been relying on DB Cargo Logistics' rail logistics solutions for a number of years now, providing carbon neutral carriage of finished vehicles, materials and components to and from its plants in Germany. The company is a pioneer in Eco Solutions and is now also the first user of DBeco plus in Poland. Since September 2022, carriage of components from the Hanover and Wolfsburg sites to Poznań in Poland and of batteries from Braunschweig to Kąty Wrocławskie near Wrocław has been completely carbon neutral, thanks to rail transport fuelled by renewable power. This makes for almost 480 environmentally sustainable block trains in both directions every year.
This fits in perfectly with Volkswagen's plan to use the most energy-efficient mode of transport and to do so without CO2 emissions whenever possible. "This is another building block in our goTOzero impact logistics strategy. Step by step, we are making our logistics more sustainable," says Sandra Augusto, Head of Material Logistics at Volkswagen Group Logistics. Meike Friedrich, Sustainability Manager at DB Cargo, is thrilled with the uptake: "We are delighted that more and more companies are making use of our sustainable solutions. It has strengthened our resolve to further expand Eco Solutions and make rail freight transport even more environmentally friendly."
Bespoke solutions for every company
DB Cargo and DB Cargo Logistics are working hand in hand to provide companies with the logistics service and support they need to achieve their specific climate targets. Simply switching to environmentally friendly rail transport reduces CO2 emissions compared to transport by heavy goods vehicle. Opting for DBeco plus makes the supply chain even greener and reduces emissions to virtually zero. Preparations are therefore already underway to be able to offer renewable power and carbon neutral transport chains with DB Cargo in other countries.
DBeco plus
DBeco plus enables carbon neutral rail freight transport on all electrified routes in the countries where it is offered (currently Germany, the Netherlands, Austria and now also in Poland). With the aid of the EcoTransIT World tool, DB Cargo determines the energy requirements of transports in advance. This calculation then provides the basis for purchasing the required amount of renewable power. This renewable power replaces the conventional traction power mix. But climate protection does not stop there: Ten percent of the revenues from DBeco plus flow into funding installations that generate or store renewable power. The actual CO2 reduction achieved by each transport is certified by DB Cargo and the reduction can be included in the company's internal carbon footprint.
Detailed information on DBeco plus is available here.
Go
