The need to replace the diesel-powered fridge engines on refrigerated transport has largely been driven by environmental factors.

While smaller vehicles, such as vans and light rigid trucks, use power from the vehicle to run the refrigeration system, the large rigids and articulated trucks use an auxiliary engine. These are typically diesel and have much less strict emission standards than the diesel engines used for vehicle propulsion.

A white paper published by Cenex last year reported that auxiliary engines emit at least 16 tonnes more nitrogen oxides (NOx) and 40 times more particulate matter (PM) than a truck’s main engine and can produce up to 15 tonnes of tailpipe CO2 each year.

However, another factor has recently come into play: fuel costs.