Sainsbury's cool new plan to cut emissions

To help slash its emissions, U.K. retail giant Sainsbury's is testing a delivery truck cooled by a liquid nitrogen powered engine. It is the first company in the world to do so.

The cutting-edge, zero-emission liquid nitrogen cooling unit was developed by British tech firm Dearman and replaces the traditional diesel engine used to power the truck’s refrigeration unit.

Many refrigerated trucks, says the company, need two diesel engines: one to power the vehicle and one for the refrigeration unit. By replacing the latter engine with this more sustainable option, emissions stand to be reduced "significantly".

Sainsbury's plans to deploy the truck for deliveries of chilled goods to its London stores over a three-month period. During this time, the retailer expects the vehicle to save up to 1.6 tons of carbon dioxide (equivalent to driving more than 14,500 km in a family car) while also saving 37 kg of nitrogen oxides and 2 kg of particulate matter.

The trial is the latest in a series of initiatives undertaken by the retailer in recent years as it pursues its ambitious goal to cut carbon emissions by 30% by 2020
Read more about the Sainsbury's initiative