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With energy transition, Coopmetro incorporates clean energy to power its fleet

22/10/2024 17:55
With energy transition, Coopmetro incorporates clean energy to power its fleet

The emission of polluting gas is a sensitive issue for transportation cooperatives. Coopmetro, founded in 1999 in the state of Minas Gerais through the union of 22 carriers, takes this matter seriously. Currently, Coopmetro has 32 branches, 5 thousand cooperative members, and 400 employees spread across Brazil.

Active in the fields of dry cargo transport, refrigerated cargo, frozen food transportation,  e-commerce shipping, in natura milk and towing, among others, Coopmetro is a reference in management, holding a ISO 9001/2015 certification and several accolades in the Cooperative Management Development Program (PDGC, for the acronym in Portuguese), conducted by the OCB System.

Thanks to the PDGC, the cooperative wrote down guidelines for its sustainability agenda, taking into account various elements such as: diversification of energy sources, financial savings, energy efficiency, environmental compliance, customer and partner engagement, technological innovation, emission reduction, and conservation of natural resources.

Evaldo Moreira de Matos, director at Coopmetro, explains: “Some of these guidelines pointed to the use of clean fuel in our fleet. We were aware of the economic and social benefits generated by renewable sources and the concern about climate change, as well as the role of cooperativism in achieving the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”

 

Energy for change

Coopmetro then started a process of diversifying its energy matrix with a focus on sustainability. It all began with a campaign to replace S500 diesel with S10 diesel, considering that S10 diesel contains, on average, 10% of biodiesel in its composition.

“In 2019, our light vehicle fleet grew significantly as a result of our entry into the e-commerce sector, and since then, we have been working diligently to encourage the use of ethanol instead of gasoline,” Matos says. In addition, natural gas gained space in the cooperative's fleet.

In 2020, Coopmetro joined MinasCoop Energia, a program run by the Ocemg System, which consisted of building photovoltaic power plants in the cities of Carmo da Cachoeira and Pará de Minas.

The Carmo da Cachoeira plant is expected to produce 4.5 MegaWatts, which is equivalent to an estimated 10 million reais. As well as supplying the cooperative's energy needs, the electricity is used by the Nossa Senhora do Carmo Hospital.

“The plants in Carmo da Cachoeira and Pará de Minas are based on three main pillars: the economic one, based on reducing the costs of both our administrative bases and generating energy to power our engines. The environmental pillar, focused on generating clean energy, and the social pillar, aimed at meeting the energy needs of philanthropic organizations in Minas Gerais,” says Matos.

In 2023, the cooperative strengthened its vehicle acquisition program, taking into account pollutant emissions.

 

Ecological fleet

In partnership with truck and equipment manufacturers, Coopmetro conducts a pilot Intercooperation project with Aurora Coop to renew the fleet through a lease-to-own mechanism for trucks. The new vehicles feature the Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system, which controls pollutant emission.

This fleet will be included in an evaluation, measurement, and carbon emission compensation program and will have a carbon-neutral badge. For this purpose, all emissions will be quantified and offset through certified environmental actions, such as reforestation and environmental preservation initiatives.

Throughout Coopmetro, the share of the fleet powered by clean fuels such as ethanol and natural gas exceeds 600 vehicles. Additionally, another thousand vehicles use S10 diesel.

“Initially, just the campaign to replace S500 diesel with S10 already reduced our pollutant emission index in proportions of 500/10 ppm,” Matos explains. “We plan to allocate resources gradually for the acquisition of cleaner vehicles as technological options and infrastructure develop. This will allow the cooperative to maintain a sustainable balance between fleet renewal and the adoption of more advanced technologies,” he adds.

 

On the road to the future

“As part of our strategic vision for sustainability and environmental responsibility, Coopmetro plans to invest in more efficient and clean vehicles. Our initiative covers various technologies and alternative fuels, aiming to reduce carbon emissions and promote more sustainable transportation practices,” explains the director of the cooperative.

Coopmetro's sustainability plans are just beginning. It is studying the incorporation of electric and hybrid vehicles into its fleet. “We plan to assess the necessary charging infrastructure, including partnerships with charging station suppliers and the installation of charging points in strategic locations”, Matos adds.

Another focus for Coopmetro is to invest in advanced routing technologies in order to optimize transport routes and reduce the number of kilometers driven without a load. In addition, the organization wants to improve real-time management and monitoring. The idea is to increase the efficiency of operations and ensure greater transparency and sustainability.

The cooperative also wants to delve deeper into the use of natural gas and biofuels. Over the years, Coopmetro will gradually replace the fleet, making room for more efficient and clean vehicles.

The control of all these initiatives will be carried out through the consolidation of internal policies and the establishment of goals related to carbon emission reduction. In addition, it will be necessary to monitor the cooperative's environmental performance.

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