Laundry firm chooses Scania trucks for fossil-free transports

When the industrial laundry service TvNo Textilservice was due to replace their older Scania trucks with new generation vehicles, the ability to operate on non-fossil fuels was an absolute requirement. In fact, the company’s entire laundry process has been decarbonised.

“We took a major step five years ago when we got rid of our oil-based heating system in favour of a pellets system both for water and heating,” says Henrik Möller, Head of Production and Marketing for TvNo, which is based in the Swedish city of Norrköping. “It’s turned out to be a good investment and has reduced costs.”

Fully carbon neutral

Last year, TvNo became fully carbon neutral when it replaced the small quantity of liquefied petroleum gas that it used in production with biofuels. The trucks run on hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), but they are also specified for rapeseed methyl ester (RME), so they are fossil-free.

Every day the laundry cleans some 19 tonnes of textiles for patients and staff at healthcare institutions in the two Swedish regions of Jönköping and Östergötland – from large hospitals to primary care centres and dental clinics. “Hygiene is of primary importance in healthcare and in our business,” says Möller.

As early as 4 o’clock each morning, the trucks head off with their daily deliveries of laundered goods – sheets, bedcovers, pillows, blankets, trousers, tops, scrubs, gowns; in fact, every conceivable type of textile. On their return to TvNo, they unload a similar number of used textiles for laundering.

Textiles scanned by x-ray

The textiles are manually sorted and even x-rayed in airport scanners before transported to huge washing machines. Scanning clothing is necessary, since staff seem to forget a surprising number of pens, coins, surgical instruments, scissors and electronics in pockets. One single pen can destroy up to 150 pieces of clothing unless it has been detected in time.

TvNo own all the textiles for the two regions, so items are not proprietary and interchangeable. The amount handled is relatively consistent from year to year, although the laundry has seen a slight increase in scrubs, most likely due to the greater focus on multi-resistant bacteria.

“A world of difference in the new Scania”

Driver Stefan Karlsson has just returned in his brand-new Scania R 450. With 33 years in the profession, this is his fourth consecutive Scania. “There’s a world of difference compared to the previous model, especially in comfort. It’s so quiet that you feel like you’re in a coach,” he says.

What is also pleasing is the 28 litres/100 km fuel consumption recorded to date. After only three weeks in operation, fuel efficiency cannot definitively be calculated but results so far indicate a significant reduction.

When Karlsson is asked whether it is he or his truck that deserves most credit for the exceptionally low fuel consumption, he modestly deflects any praise. “I try to follow the advice I get from the Driver Assistance system but after so many years it’s difficult to relearn. The truck does most of the work.”

This will be Karlsson’s final truck before retiring. “I’m hoping that my son, who also works here, will take over,” he says.