UK food producer first to add Sunswap's solar TRUs

In a first for U.K. agricultural logistics, Lincolnshire-based Staples Vegetables recently integrated Sunswap’s battery- and solar-powered refrigeration systems into its fleet, illustrating how British farmers are modernizing operations to meet consumer demand for locally sourced, sustainable produce.

Staple’s two new Endurance transport refrigeration units (TRUs) feature zero-emission technology that maintains precise temperature control for fresh vegetables travelling from Staples’ 10,000 hectares of farmland, which supplies major retailers with British-grown brassicas, leeks, potatoes, and sweetcorn.

Staples expects to save 78% on operational costs compared to running diesel TRUs, with total cost of ownership reducing by 27% over 10 years, the companies reported. The two units are expected to eliminate 256 tonnes of CO2 emissions over the next decade—equivalent to removing 18 typical U.K. cars from the road annually.

“These units will save us thousands of liters of diesel annually while keeping our British brassicas farm-fresh from field to fork,” Vernon Read, Staples managing director, said in a news release. “In today’s market, any supplier not seriously evaluating this technology risks being left behind by both retailers and consumers demanding lower carbon footprints.”

The proof came in summer 2023, during a 12-days trial, Sunswap said. Endurance maintained optimal temperatures despite field heat, when produce loaded straight from summer fields can be significantly warmer than the required transport temperature. This performance led Staples to invest in the battery- and solar-powered technology.

Since going live in June, the Endurance units have drawn 96% of their power directly from solar—even during 30-degrees-Celsius summer heat when cooling demands peak, eliminating the need for grid charging. Staples also operates two anaerobic digestion plants that make it 100% self-sufficient in green electricity, with surplus exported to the grid.

Staples joins other Sunswap customers, including Tesco, Birds Eye, and Samworth Brothers.

“Staples Vegetables proves you don’t choose between sustainability and the bottom line—you get both with better technology,” said Alastair Gough, Sunswap head of business development. “We’ve engineered transport refrigeration from the ground up: zero emissions, yes, but also intelligent systems collecting 1,000 data points to prevent breakdowns before they happen and cloud connected so the fridge gets better over time, not worse.

“This is transport refrigeration for the 21st century—smarter, cleaner, and more profitable.”