Södra's new electric wood chip truck is now being put into operation within the production activities, and its use will be evaluated under real conditions over two years. This initiative will reduce the environmental footprint of wood chip transports and represents an important step on Södra's path towards climate neutrality.
The decision to invest in an electric heavy-duty truck is part of Södra's long-term strategy to transition to fossil-free transport and gather experience for future electrification of the vehicle fleet. The electric wood chip truck, delivered by Scania, will be charged with self-produced fossil-free electricity and used for wood chip transports in Blekinge and eastern Småland. Södra is now initiating an evaluation period that will extend until 2027, with a planned driving distance of approximately 400 kilometers per day. The evaluation will analyze the vehicle's performance, identify areas for improvement, and facilitate planning for a more large-scale electrification of Södra's vehicle fleet.
The electric wood chip truck and the associated evaluation are part of the TREE collaboration project, coordinated by Skogforsk, the forestry industry's joint research institute. The project's goal is to ensure that 50 percent of all new trucks in the forestry sector are electrified by 2030. Together with an additional 22 partners, including other forestry companies, haulers, technology companies, and research actors, Södra contributes knowledge that can create value for the entire industry.
The electric wood chip truck will be deployed on regular routes and will be a natural part of Södra's truck fleet. As part of the evaluation, route optimization and the vehicle's performance will be carefully analyzed. The results from the project will then form the basis for planning a large-scale electrification of Södra's vehicle fleet.
Södra is the largest forest-owner association in Sweden, with more than 50,000 family forest owners as members. Together, the members of Södra own a world-leading industrial operation that processes forest raw material into renewable products such as pulp, timber, building systems, energy and biochemicals.
