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Girteka Logistics, the largest asset-based road freight company in Europe, together with other European Clean Trucking Alliance (ECTA) members, welcomes the newest ‘Fit for 55’ legislative package that aims to deliver the promise to reduce the bloc’s emissions by at least 55% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels. The new regulations not only provides the roadmap towards a zero-emission future, but also affirm that the path of sustainable road freight transport, which Girteka Logistics has been on, is the only way forward.
“As an international road freight carrier, Girteka Logistics has looked for ways to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, including the adoption of HVO and the expansion of the company’s intermodal rail network. The new ‘Fit-for-55’ package only confirms that we have been on the right path in terms of our approach to slashing our emissions,” comments Edvardas Liachovičius, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Girteka Logistics.
Introduced on July 14, 2021, the package outlines the policies that will help the members of the European Union (EU) slash their emissions in the coming years, including the businesses that operate within the bloc.
The new legislation introduced several regulations that will influence the road freight transport industry going forward, namely the Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) and the Energy Taxation Directive (ETD).
The Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) introduced much-required direction for the development of truck charging and hydrogen refueling stations across the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), which connects the whole of the EU, as well as across urban centers and Safe and Secure Truck Parking Areas. With binding targets, we can expect that State members will develop and deploy an ever-growing network of chargers and refueling stations for zero-emission vehicles, including trucks, to ensure crucial infrastructure for the deployment of electric and hydrogen-powered trucks.
With the package introducing changes to the legislative instrument and turning it into a regulation, we can expect that the pace of the development of zero-emission vehicles and the corresponding recharging and refueling infrastructure will only grow.
“While we operate the latest and the most environmentally-friendly trucks equipped with Euro 6 standard engines, we are closely monitoring the development of electric and hydrogen vehicles, as well as the infrastructure to support a zero-emission fleet,” adds the Chief Executive. “Girteka Logistics, as well as other ECTA members, believes that turning the bloc’s environmental policy into a legally binding one will only accelerate the de-carbonization of the road freight industry,” concludes Liachovičius.
However, the legislative package has not yet answered some questions the Alliance has, including the lack of standardization of power levels of truck chargers, to ensure that drivers could recharge their vehicles while they rest at a parking location or during a short break. Another concerning area is that there are no national fleet-based targets for heavy-duty vehicle chargers, which could undermine the efforts to develop sustainable heavy goods vehicles, as well as the accompanying infrastructure.
Nevertheless, the ‘Fit-for-55’ package is an important step to not only de-carbonize road freight, but to take care of our environment for future generations.
Girteka Logistics, one of the founding members of the European Clean Trucking Alliance (ECTA), operating a fleet of over 8,000 trucks and 8,700 trailers, is also looking for ways to reduce its carbon footprint. The company offers HVO, which is an alternative solution to diesel that can reduce CO2 emissions up to 90%. In addition, it continuously grows its intermodal rail network, which reduces the emissions footprint of the road freight transportation process and has allowed the company to save 8,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions in 2020.
