XPO and Saint-Gobain's Sustainable Construction Partnership

Saint-Gobain, a global leader in light and sustainable construction materials, is expanding its UK fleet with six new fully electric Volvo HGVs, introduced in collaboration with XPO Logistics, a major provider of innovative and sustainable end-to-end logistics solutions across Europe.

Based on XPO Logistics’ proprietary intelligence technology, which measures emissions savings, the deployment of these six eHGVs is expected to cut CO₂e emissions by nearly 800,000 kg annually, amounting to 3,530 tonnes over the five-year duration of the UK Government’s Zero Emission HGV & Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) programme.

This reduction is equivalent to the emissions generated by 2,353 UK households.

Advanced infrastructure and rapid charging

To support the rollout, Saint-Gobain and XPO Logistics have partnered with Gridserve to develop a ‘back to base supercharging’ infrastructure at the Saint-Gobain Logistics Hub in Gotham, Nottinghamshire. The site features six charging points capable of powering the eHGVs to 80% in just 90 minutes and achieving a full charge in under two hours.

Dean O’Sullivan, CEO of Saint-Gobain UK & Ireland, says: “Trialling six zero-exhaust emission HGVs across the Midlands is another step forward for us. The extended operational trials of the all-electric vehicles are part of our wider journey to reduce the impact of our business and ultimately meet our goal to be a net zero carbon business.

“We’ll be working closely with customers during this period and our drivers to get their feedback and see how all-electric HGVs at scale can fit into our logistics service offer. We’re excited to see what’s possible as we push for cleaner, smarter deliveries that support our customers.”

Strategic collaboration for net zero goals

Saint-Gobain and XPO Logistics have collaborated on the electric HGV initiative for more than 18 months as part of the ZEHID programme, aiming to deliver ‘Zero Carbon’ logistics solutions to Saint-Gobain customers. Initial trial deliveries are set to begin in Q2 this year.

The innovative programme will conduct a ‘real world’ evaluation of ‘zero emission’ electric HGV trucks over five years, with the partners working together to complete more than 12,000 customer deliveries while avoiding over 3,500 tonnes of CO₂e emissions.

The Gotham hub facility will facilitate deliveries from both British Gypsum East Leake and the Saint-Gobain Midlands DC throughout the programme, with a target of achieving two delivery cycles per vehicle per day across the Midlands region.

The ZEHID programme was formally launched in October 2023, when the UK Government committed £200m (US$268.5m) to fund innovative ‘green’ projects supporting zero-emission HGV trials. HGVs currently account for 20% of total UK transport emissions, making their decarbonisation critical to reducing overall emissions.

Expanding the electric fleet across Europe

The six Volvo eHGVs include five tractor units and one rigid unit, scheduled to enter service on UK roads between April and June this year.

Abdi Ali, National Key Account Manager at Volvo Trucks UK & Ireland, says: “As part of our long-term partnership with XPO Logistics, we are constantly looking at ways to modernise and improve the environmental impact of its fleet.

"The addition of the six new Volvo FM Electric trucks marks another step forward and demonstrates XPO Logistics’ confidence in the technology.

“It is hugely rewarding to see our zero-tailpipe emission solutions supporting forward-thinking companies like Saint-Gobain and XPO Logistics – organisations with a clear vision of their sustainability strategies, who are acting now to drive towards a cleaner and greener future.”

Dan Myers, Senior Vice President, Supply Chain – Europe, XPO Logistics, says: “This is the latest effort in our joint goal of doing business in a responsible way, working towards our shared target of reducing our emissions to zero with Saint-Gobain. This initiative moves us a significant step closer to sustainable construction.”

Beyond the UK and Ireland, XPO Logistics maintains a close partnership with Saint-Gobain across Central and Southern Europe and Africa, including Morocco, Spain, France and Portugal, delivering comprehensive end-to-end logistics solutions.

This collaboration supports high-quality logistics management for a wide portfolio of Saint-Gobain building products, including building glass, premium insulation materials, specialist transportation of construction chemicals, fibreglass and reinforced fibres, natural fibres, as well as performance ceramics and refractories.

Across all regions, the partnership is focused on reducing carbon emissions and progressing towards net-zero operations as efficiently as possible, while continuing to deliver high standards of customer service.

For instance, XPO Logistics is set to deliver the first electric truck to the Saint-Gobain Building Glass fleet at its Gennevilliers site in France next month. In terms of decarbonisation, XPO Logistics’ global solutions have already enabled Saint-Gobain in France to save 1,900 tonnes of CO₂ by 2025, based on calculations aligned with the ADEME standard (comparing diesel emissions with those of HVO “Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil”).