The Supply Chain Year in Stories: July 2024

XPO: Delivering a more Sustainable Tour de France

For more than 40 years, XPO Logistics, a leading provider of innovative sustainable end-to-end logistics solutions across Europe, has been the official transport partner of the Tour de France.

For the 2024 edition, that means using HVO biofuel and an electric truck as XPO’s team of 59 drivers move from stage to stage all the equipment necessary for the smooth logistical running of the race.

This includes barriers, podiums, arches, paint for the race signs, prefabricated furniture for the villages, sound and video equipment, gantries and much more.

This year, XPO Logistics is also moving the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift as its official transport partner.

“Bringing our expertise to manage the transport and logistics of one of the world's greatest sporting competitions means offering more innovative and sustainable solutions each year,” explains Luis Gómez, President of XPO Logistics in Europe.

“This is part of our overall commitment to limiting CO2 emissions and helping our customers and partners to achieve their objectives for a more environmentally friendly future.”

Harnessing the power of HVO

In a bid to reduce its environmental impact, the Tour de France has once again chosen the LESS hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) solution which was introduced by XPO Logistics in 2023. 

This sustainable, low-emissions solution uses HVO biofuel to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 90% and fine particle and NOx pollution by up to 30% compared to diesel.

Last year, using biofuel during the Tour de France enabled a reduction of 136,571 kg of CO2 for 48,826 litres used. The women's edition saw a reduction of 18,976 kg of CO2 thanks to the use of 6,784 litres of HVO biofuel.

Meanwhile, and for the first time, a 100% electric road tractor will travel from Mâcon to Nuits-Saint-Georges to be present in Saint-Vulbas, Nice – where the tour will finish for the first time in more than a century due to the event's proximity to the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Etihad Cargo’s Bold Bid to Increase Global Capacity

Etihad Cargo is an organisation on a mission to boost both capacity and connectivity within the global air freight network.

The cargo and logistics arm of Etihad Airways recently launched a new route to Madrid, with two weekly Boeing 777 freighter flights set to travel between Abu Dhabi and Madrid, adding more than 200 tonnes of cargo capacity for Europe. 

Meanwhile, the business has expanded its partnership with China's SF Airlines to increase the frequency of flights between its mega hubs in Abu Dhabi and Ezhou. The pair have also launched a freighter service between Shenzhen and Abu Dhabi to boost cargo connectivity and capacity between China, the UAE and other global destinations.

What’s more, Etihad Cargo has strengthened its commitment to the US market by offering incremental capacity beyond its belly hold capacity in cooperation with network partner airlines, thus meeting growing demand for air freight to the US.

Madrid is latest Etihad Cargo European freighter destination

Etihad Cargo currently provides belly capacity via 10 passenger flights to Madrid, 10 to Barcelona and three seasonal flights to Malaga launched as part of the airline's summer schedule. 

Launching a twice-weekly freighter service between Abu Dhabi and Madrid increases the total number of flights to Spain to 25 per week. 

This expansion highlights the strategic importance of these destinations – particularly Madrid as a key European fashion hub – and is aimed at boosting e-commerce connectivity from Asia to Europe via Etihad Cargo's Abu Dhabi hub. 

This new route complements Etihad Cargo's existing European freighter network, which includes six weekly flights to Amsterdam and three weekly flights to Frankfurt. With the addition of Madrid to the network, the total number of Etihad Cargo's freighter flights to Europe will increase to 11 per week.

"Launching Madrid as Etihad Cargo’s latest European freighter destination supports the growing demand for e-commerce flows between Asia and Europe,” comments Stanislas Brun, VP Cargo at Etihad Cargo. “Madrid's role as a key fashion hub makes it an essential destination for the carrier’s freighter network.”

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