Victoria Group's Drive to Net Zero - Future Facing
In challenging times, we must manage geographical uncertainty and climate change simultaneously. This changing landscape makes managing the business more difficult, but the group has already made positive improvements to reduce our impact on the planet, evidence of our commitment to decarbonising the business. Victoria Group is committed to reducing emissions, decreasing our impact on the environment, and minimising our reliance on fossil fuels to achieve our own decarbonisation ambitions.
Our investments in greener, more sustainable alternatives align with the broader group's environmental strategy to improve and grow the business without demanding more from the planet.
As part of our commitment to minimising the impact of our port operations on the environment, we have invested heavily in solar PV generation, reducing our dependence on the grid and its non-renewable power sources. We are now generating green-sourced power at every site we operate. In the summer months, we aim to be entirely sustainable by generating our own green electricity, exporting the surplus to the National Grid, and saving vast amounts of CO₂.
Our customers are increasingly demanding more sustainable supply chain solutions, and battery equivalent plant and equipment is not yet the answer, so we responded by operating more efficient plant and equipment (Euro V & VI), and by fitting Hydrogen packs to older plant, we have already reduced emissions.
Further installations of controllable LED lighting, smart metering, programmable heating options, and more efficient IT equipment help to reduce this further, coupled with the introduction of EV and PHEV company cars and Euro VI VG Transport, which allows us to navigate a path toward a more sustainable future.
The Victoria Group is Future Facing.
An Ongoing Investment with Solar PV
Victoria Group is committed to sustainable growth and environmental responsibility. We have made significant investments in cleaner energy solutions across our operations.
Our journey began in 2018 at our Sharpness site, where we introduced solar photovoltaic (PV) technology to advance our cleaner energy initiatives. Since then, we have implemented solar solutions across all sites, with installations that not only meet but exceed our energy requirements. We remain dedicated to identifying additional opportunities for solar panel installations, reinforcing our commitment to reducing reliance on non-renewable energy sources and delivering added value to our customers.
To gain precise insights into our green energy usage, we have made substantial investments in advanced energy monitoring systems. These systems allow us to track power consumption at a granular level, enabling the identification and replacement of legacy high-energy equipment with modern, highly efficient alternatives.
UK Distribution
Our road transport fleet is at the heart of how we keep things moving for our customers. We know how important it is to be dependable and responsive, and that’s what we strive for every day.
We’re always looking for ways to do better. Recently, we reached an exciting milestone—every vehicle in our fleet now runs on advanced Euro V/VI engines, helping us meet the latest emissions standards while doing our part for the environment.
Our drivers are at the core of our operation, and we support them with training focused on smart, eco-friendly driving. We’ve also introduced lighter coil carriers, so we can move more with every trip, cut down on road miles, and keep our emissions in check.
Our investment in new Scania trucks reduces fossil fuel consumption and achieves a 125% reduction in NOx emissions. This is made possible by Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology, which transforms NOx into harmless nitrogen and water, significantly lessening our environmental impact.
Rail Transport
The movement of steel coils from our facilities has shifted from road transport to rail, increasing by over 50% in the past three years.
The new Boston steel terminals were constructed to facilitate this modal change, equipped with more efficient overhead gantry cranes capable of heavier lifts and featuring more efficient motors.
A freight train can carry vast loads, reducing the emissions of our road transport – further evidence of our Future Facing environmental vision.
Energy Efficiency
Did you know that lighting uses up roughly 15% of the world’s energy? That’s why we’ve been so passionate about switching to LED lights—they’re up to 80% more efficient, last up to 50 times longer, and use 75% less energy. About five years ago, we set ourselves a significant challenge: to replace all our old sodium and fluorescent lights with LEDs. We’re nearly there, and it’s something we’re really proud of.
We’ve also made changes in our offices that make a real difference. Our office heating is now managed with smart thermostats that only warm up the space when needed. Next, we’re upgrading our insulation to keep the heat in and help our green energy work even more efficiently for us. Every step brings us closer to a more sustainable and comfortable work environment.
Where are we now?
Victoria Group has developed maintenance procedures which – in tandem with a policy of regularly upgrading equipment – ensure the quality of the infrastructure at our port facilities. The Group employs its own skilled maintenance teams, to provide support for our facilities, plant and equipment.
This offers an assurance to customers of the continuous availability of reliable port services.
Victoria Group has a rolling programme of customer-focussed investment, constantly upgrading and developing facilities and equipment to assist with its clients’ changing logistical requirements.
