Interview with Sandra Villeminot, Global Head of Sustainability Ground & Rail
"CEVA Ground & Rail is committed to scaling up the use of low-carbon trucks in the coming years."
What are CEVA Logistics’ key initiatives to reduce carbon emissions in Ground and Rail transport?
Sandra: At CEVA, we are committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from our Ground operations by 30% by 2030, compared to our 2022 baseline. We currently operate over 1,250 low-carbon trucks globally, powered by electricity, biofuels (HVO100, B100), biogas, and hydrogen fuel cells, with plans to increase this number to 1,450 trucks by the end of 2025. We are driving impactful projects to reduce CO2e, such as the ECTN project, which is decarbonizing long-distance transport with a 900 km electric truck corridor between Lille and Avignon, set to be fully operational by July 2025. Another key initiative is the large-scale deployment of HVO100 biofuel in the UK, with 19 tanks installed in strategic locations, leading to an annual consumption of around 5 million liters and a 80-90% reduction in CO2e emissions. Additionally, we are electrifying our picking and distribution activities across Europe with the rollout of 36 electric trucks and charging infrastructure at 10 sites in France, Italy, the UK, Belgium, and the Netherlands. This journey is just beginning, and CEVA Ground & Rail is committed to scaling up the use of low-carbon trucks in the coming years.
How do you see the use of biofuel over the next 5-10 years at CEVA?
Sandra: Today, we are operating more than 520 trucks powered by biofuels worldwide, split between B100 and HVO100, the two main biofuels for road usage. Biofuels are produced using waste or food raw materials, and even though raw material collection is becoming more efficient, the production capacity is inherently limited. The aviation sector is working on developing new energy sources like hydrogen thermic engines, but these are likely to remain limited to short-distance aircraft usage. Consequently, the majority of the biofuel capacity currently used by road transport will probably be absorbed by the air freight sector.
European countries are progressively rolling out public refueling stations for biofuels, improving accessibility. The distribution of biofuel at public stations initially started in the Nordic countries of Sweden, Norway, and Finland and is now present in the majority of western countries in Europe.
Additionally, the EU will start the implementation of the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) for ground transportation in 2027 (linked to the Fit for 55 Program, in line with the Paris Agreement). This mechanism will gradually reduce the cost differential between sustainable solutions and favor zero-emission options.
For these reasons, we believe that the share of biofuels in CEVA's Ground & Rail division will remain limited, and zero-emission solutions like electric battery vehicles or hydrogen fuel cells will take the lead in terms of decarbonization.
How do you see CEVA’s commitment to sustainability evolving in the coming years?
Sandra: We have proved these last years that CEVA Ground & Rail is committed to decarbonization and actively contributes to this goal by independently investing in electric trucks, charging infrastructure, biofuels, and fuel cell vehicles. We will continue to play our part on this journey. But we can’t be alone, and I believe working closely with our ecosystem will be key to scale-up sustainability solutions. Our clients are more and more pushing for sustainable solutions, our subcontractors are also engaging actions and we must support and help them. The legislation’s evolution will be also key to reduce the gap of price that still remains between fossil fuel and low carbon solutions and will be a game changer in our future business. Together with the CMA CGM Group, our goal is to be net zero by 2050 and we will do everything to reach it.