Abekkas equips Ecogen system

Swedish long-haul operator Abbekås Åkeri (Abekkas Haulage) recently fitted a Hultsteins Ecogen system to one of its 83-foot refrigerated drawbar vehicles in hopes of extending the working life of the two diesel-powered refrigeration units.

Hultsteins, a UK-based manufacturer of transporter refrigeration units (TRUs), says Akeri also can expect to make significant cuts in fuel consumption and harmful emissions by using its Ecogen system.

Abekkas operates 50 Scania and Volvo temperature-controlled vehicles and drawbar trailers, carrying mostly food products from Malmo in the south to Gothenburg and Stockholm in mid Sweden, making round trips of more than 700 miles every day.

“It was approaching the time to replace one of the Carrier Vector 1850 units because, at 10 years old, the diesel engine was past its best,” said Mikael Nilsson, vice president of Abekkas. “However, instead we opted to fit an Ecogen hybrid generator to the PTO on the Scania truck, which would provide electrical power to both fridge units and allow both engines to remain switched off for the entire 10-hour journey.”

The company reports saving 1.6 to 2.1 gallons of diesel per hour, Hultsteins said, with the Carrier units running silently on the road and performing as normal. Also, given that each gallon of diesel produces 5.7 pounds of carbon, the company calculates an approximate annual carbon savings approaching 55 tons.

Furthermore, based on information provided by Trafikverket, the Swedish Transport Administration, a vehicle of this specification—using one diesel engine instead of three—also will cut NOx and particulate emissions by 65% and 80%, respectively.

“This is where environmental considerations and commercial efficiency meet,” Nilsson said. “By retrofitting the Ecogen electric generator and effectively switching off the diesel fridge engines during transit, we not only save on fuel but also extend the life of each fridge by at least two years. All the while, cutting harmful emissions and making life better for our drivers and everybody around them.”

The refrigerated drawbar combination is the longest standard road trailer in Europe and normally requires three diesel engines to drive the vehicle and cool each box. Using the Ecogen system, however, only one engine is used. The fridge unit on the truck can be independently operated, and when the drawbar trailer is required, it plugs into the “Suzie coupling” for electrical power to drive the second fridge.

Although Hultsteins’ electric generation systems are widely used throughout Europe and have been available since the 1960s, this is the first to be retrofitted by Abekkas, Hultsteins said.

“Ecogen can be retrofitted easily to any truck with a PTO (power take off) and will drive any type of conventional diesel fridge with electric standby, from any of the major manufacturers,” said Börje Axelsson, CEO of Hultsteins. “Rather than intending to replace the existing refrigeration system, Ecogen works in tandem with the fridge unit to provide a cheaper and less harmful power source, generating a constant 400-volt, 3-phase electrical power to the same standard as the mains supply. With this typical application, operators can expect to extend the life of existing fridge units, while seeing a return on investment in under 15 months.”