CEFC backs Sunswap electric refrigeration for fleets
Mon, 18th May 2026 (Today)
The Clean Energy Finance Corporation has committed AUD $10 million to support the rollout of electric refrigeration units for Australian transport fleets. The funding will back more than 100 units from British manufacturer Sunswap.
The investment is intended to replace diesel-powered refrigeration systems widely used on refrigerated trailers in food and pharmaceutical supply chains. Made through the Powering Australia Technology Fund, it is designed to address the upfront manufacturing and import costs that have slowed broader adoption of electric systems.
Sunswap's Endurance units are fully electric and use solar assistance. In Australia, the company works with local distribution partner Protran Solutions, which has already deployed the equipment.
The move comes as transport remains one of Australia's largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Heavy vehicles are a major contributor, and refrigerated transport has proved difficult to decarbonise because diesel-powered units are widely used in long-distance freight operations.
Australia is also a sizeable cold chain logistics market, estimated in the release at up to USD $5 billion. Refrigerated transport is critical to food distribution and pharmaceutical delivery, making any shift in equipment significant for operators that need reliable temperature control over long distances.
A recent Australian trial cited by the companies tested the technology on a three-day, 1,671km route between Sydney and Brisbane. The unit completed the trip without en route charging and finished with 62 per cent battery remaining.
That result is likely to be closely watched by logistics operators, given concerns about whether electric refrigeration can cope with Australian distances and climate conditions. The companies said solar input is expected to reduce electricity demand and running costs, particularly in Australia.
Malcolm Thornton, Head of Growth Capital at the CEFC, said the investment is intended to support the use of an established alternative to diesel systems in a part of the transport sector where emissions are hard to cut.
"Transport refrigeration is critical to Australia's food and pharmaceutical supply chains. Supporting proven electric alternatives enables emissions reductions, improved air quality and lower operating costs for Australian businesses," Thornton said.
Founded in Britain and based in Leatherhead, Surrey, Sunswap manufactures transport refrigeration units for trailer fleets. Its systems combine battery storage, solar charging and connected software in a single unit, and the company already operates across Europe, South America and Australia.
"Cold chain logistics has relied on diesel-powered refrigeration for decades. The load stays cold, but everything else - the fuel cost, high maintenance, limited operational insights - has been accepted as the price of doing business. We built Endurance to change that calculation. Today, we are relied on by major fleets and retailers across Europe and South America. The CEFC investment puts more units on Australian roads, giving operators access to electric refrigeration that cuts operating costs, handles Australian distances, and comes with the service infrastructure to back it up," Sunswap CEO and Co-founder, Michael Lowe, said.
The Australian deployment will build on work already carried out by Protran Solutions, which distributes the technology locally. The latest backing is expected to help place more units into retail and logistics fleets that have so far relied on conventional diesel equipment.
"Australian refrigerated transport has put up with diesel's costs and limitations for too long, not because operators wanted to, but because there simply wasn't a credible alternative. Sunswap changes that. The Sydney to Brisbane trial run without recharging shows the technology performed in Australian conditions. This investment puts more of that capability on Australian roads, and I genuinely believe it's the beginning of a significant shift for this industry," Grant Turner, General Manager of Protran Solutions, said.
The CEFC, a government-backed climate investor with more than AUD $33 billion available for investment, has increasingly targeted sectors where electrification has been slower to take hold. Refrigerated freight falls into that category because operators must balance emissions cuts with strict requirements for reliability, route flexibility and product safety.
For Sunswap, the commitment strengthens its foothold in Australia at a time when logistics operators are under pressure to reduce fuel use and emissions without disrupting supply chains. For fleet operators, the availability of more than 100 electric units will provide an early test of whether the economics and operating performance can support a broader shift away from diesel.