Alexion swaps to HVO for pharmaceutical deliveries

Alexion AstraZeneca Rare Disease and DHL Global Forwarding Freight, have announced a new partnership to commence Ireland’s first sustainable fuel deliveries using Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (HVO) for the pharmaceutical industry.

By converting to HVO fuel, the two companies say they are aiming to reduce annual Greenhouse Gas (GHG) from road freight by up to 90 per cent compared to GHG emissions associated with deliveries using diesel.

The partners have identified multiple transport routes within Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Europe, which will all convert from diesel to HVO to deliver medicines manufactured in Alexion’s sites in Athlone, Co Westmeath and Blanchardstown, Co Dublin.

HVO will be used in DHL’s vehicles on more than 500 deliveries, on an annual basis to 10 countries.

Produced from biomass such as used cooking oils and waste from food manufacture, HVO is a drop-in fuel, meaning it can be used within existing vehicles without compromising operational performance, removing the need for new infrastructure or fleet.

Reducing the GHG emissions associated with the transport of medicinal products is an important part of AstraZeneca’s wider sustainability strategy. This includes a focus on partnerships across the healthcare sector to accelerate the delivery of net-zero health systems, including supply chain decarbonisation.

AstraZeneca has set a target to reduce absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions by 98 per cent from 2015 base year. From 2030, the aim is to halve the entire value chain footprint (absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions), from a 2019 base year, on the way to becoming science-based net zero by 2045.