In a first for the UK fresh produce sector, Lincolnshire-based Staples Vegetables has adopted battery and solar-powered refrigeration technology, significantly reducing transport costs and emissions while maintaining produce quality.
The farming business, a supplier of British-grown brassicas, leeks, potatoes, and sweetcorn to major retailers, has integrated two Sunswap Endurance refrigeration units into its logistics fleet. These zero-emission units, fitted to a 15.65-metre trailer, are designed to maintain precise temperature control during transport.
© Sunswap
Staples Vegetables estimates a 78% reduction in operational refrigeration costs compared to diesel systems and expects a 27% decrease in total cost of ownership over ten years. The company also projects that the units will eliminate 256 tonnes of CO₂ emissions over the same period, equivalent to removing 18 average UK vehicles from the road each year.
The units were trialled in summer 2023, during which they maintained consistent temperatures even when produce was loaded directly from the field in high ambient temperatures. Based on these results, the farm has now deployed the system commercially. Since their rollout in June 2025, the refrigeration units have drawn 96% of their power from solar energy, with no need for external grid charging, even during heatwaves.
Vernon Read, Managing Director at Staples Vegetables, stated that the decision was driven by both economic and environmental considerations. He noted that the shift to solar-powered refrigeration aligns with increasing expectations from retailers and consumers for lower-emission food supply chains.
According to Sunswap, the Endurance units are equipped with diagnostic and cloud-based monitoring systems designed to optimise performance and reduce downtime. The company has also supplied the technology to several other UK brands.
Staples Vegetables' investment complements its broader sustainability strategy. The business already operates two anaerobic digestion plants, which supply all of its electricity needs, with surplus energy exported to the national grid.
The move comes amid growing demand from consumers and retailers for British-grown produce with verifiable sustainability credentials. Transport refrigeration units typically consume between 4,000 and 5,000 litres of diesel annually, and alternatives such as battery and solar-powered systems offer a pathway for producers to meet environmental targets.
The Sunswap units used by Staples are manufactured in Leatherhead, Surrey, and reflect the increasing role of domestic engineering in modernising agricultural logistics.
For more information:
Sunswap
Email: [email protected]
www.sunswap.co.uk
