Green Road Energy has teamed up with UK/Sweden sustainable refrigeration manufacturer Hultsteins to bring each company’s carbon- and cost-saving transport solutions to both sides of the Atlantic. One specializes in using a wind turbine to power refrigeration, and the other has a hydraulic drive generator to produce energy.

Based in Lakeland, Florida, Green Road Energy is a designer and producer of energy preservation systems that harness wind, solar power, and vehicle-generated energy to provide low-cost clean electricity for auxiliary systems on trucks and trailers.

The company said its TAG (turbine auxiliary generator) system is fast becoming popular with fleet operators in the US. Mounted to the trailer chassis and using simple wind turbine technology, the system bypasses the alternator and engine to generate electricity for liftgates, refrigeration units, lighting, and auxiliary batteries. It can be mounted on trailers and box trucks.

Road Energy said while the vehicle is in motion the TAG system significantly reduces diesel fuel consumption and emissions as it constantly generates renewable wind energy and displaces carbon-intensive power sources.

Trailer Refrigeration – Without the Diesel

Designed specifically to bypass the diesel engine on all conventional trailer refrigeration units, Hultsteins’ Ecogen2 is a slim-fit hydraulic drive generator that plugs into any make of diesel/electric TRU to supply a constant 400-volt, 3-phase electrical power, even at idle.

Connected to the tractor’s PTO, Ecogen2 draws power directly from the tractor engine. The energy produced powers the trailer’s refrigeration unit on electric standby during transit, all the while, reducing CO2 by around 90%, DPM by 90%, and NOx by around 400%.

Reynolds Logistics, a UK - national food service provider, is now in its third year with Hultsteins and has recently placed a third order for Ecogen2. The company is fitting its first Green Road Energy TAG systems to test on its temperature-controlled rigid units.

Green Road Energy Now Ecogen2 US Distributor

Green Road Energy is now the official distributor of Ecogen2 in America, offering fleet operators what the company called a powerful solution to enhance efficiency and reduce environmental impact.

“I had the opportunity to see the Ecogen2 in action and was thoroughly impressed by its innovative approach to sustainable refrigeration,” said Brian Arnold, Green Road Energy’s chief technical officer, following a recent visit to Hultsteins in England. “Recognizing its potential to transform the transportation industry, I was motivated to bring this cutting-edge technology to the United States.”

Graham Usher, Hultsteins’ UK managing director, said Ecogen is widely used in Europe and the TAG system is quickly making a name for itself in the US.

“Now, with this new alliance, operators on both sides of the water can benefit from these innovative, non-polluting and affordable alternatives to diesel power,” Usher said.