REWE Nord saves 48 t of CO2

The vehicle, a Hyundai XCIENT Fuel Cell, has been delivering goods to REWE supermarkets in the Hamburg area in a climate-friendly manner since Autumn 2023. It runs exclusively on green hydrogen produced regionally. In the audited year of 2024, the use of the fuel cell truck resulted in approximately 48 fewer t of CO₂ emissions over a mileage of 65 000 km compared to a similar diesel vehicle. This corresponds to a saving of around 90%. This was achieved by refuelling with 5.5 t of green hydrogen at three filling stations in northern Germany. No emissions are produced during the truck's operation ('tank-to-wheel'). Across the entire process chain – from hydrogen production to vehicle use ('well-to-wheel') – transport is also significantly more climate-friendly than conventional alternatives. This makes REWE Nord one of the first retail companies in Germany to implement a virtually emission-free supply chain in daily operations.

DEKRA-tested and CSRD-compliant

The calculation is based on data that hylane automatically collects for vehicles and the energy used. This includes the amount of hydrogen refueled, the CO₂ emissions generated during production and transport, as well as the kilometers driven and refrigerant losses in refrigerated vehicles. DEKRA verifies the calculation according to ISO 14083 and the GLEC framework and prepares the official documentation. This documentation transparently and comprehensibly documents the CO₂ savings from energy production to vehicle operation – including a reference scenario with the emissions of a comparable diesel truck.

Transparency in sustainability reporting

Auditors recognise CO₂ emissions data for sustainability reports – for example, as part of the EU's CSRD directive. This allows companies to credibly demonstrate the impact of their measures across the entire supply chain and communicate this to end customers. With this data, hylane offers its customers complete transparency regarding the CO₂ footprint of the vehicles used.

Gerd-Wilhelm Brüning, Head of Logistics at REWE Nord, said: “The hydrogen truck has proven itself in daily use and demonstrates that sustainable logistics works in practice. With the official confirmation of CO₂ emissions by hylane, we now also have the financial proof. This certificate is a key component of our comprehensive set of measures for decarbonising the value chain. As a company committed to the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) with science-based reduction targets, we are pursuing the goal of combining ecological and economic sustainability – for future-proof logistics.”

Dr Sara Schiffer, Managing Director of hylane, commented: “With our CO2 certificates, we are setting a milestone: For the first time, CO₂ emissions from the use of climate-friendly trucks are verifiably documented across the entire chain, from energy generation to operation on the road. REWE Nord is taking ambitious steps to decarbonize its transport operations. We are pleased to support them in this endeavour with our DEKRA-certified CO₂ certificates. They make the progress achieved visible and measurable – internally, for customers, authorities, and other partners.”

Read the article online at: https://www.globalhydrogenreview.com/hydrogen/22122025/rewe-nord-saves-48-t-of-co2/