A black and white image of an electric Scania truck with shipping containers in the background, at the Port of Leixões in northern Portugal.

Four partners and one electrified transport route in Portugal

29 September 2026

A collaboration in Portugal between IKEA, KLOG Logistics, the Port of Leixões and Scania shows how electric-powered transport flows can cut carbon emissions while also boosting productivity.

Scania often says that the electrification of the heavy transport requires smart partnerships: like-minded actors who are willing to come together to make all the infrastructural and logistical changes needed beyond the initial switch from diesel to electric truck.

Today, in a corner of northern Portugal, this is already a reality.

There, IKEA has collaborated with local transporter KLOG Logistics, the Port of Leixões and Scania in an exciting project which proves that entire transport flows can be redesigned around electrification.

The result is shorter, simpler journeys and an increase in transports from three to four a day, bringing a dramatic reduction in emissions and greater productivity.

Hear directly from the partners involved in the project

How it began

It started four years ago with an idea from Adrien Garcia, head of transport innovation for Inter IKEA Group. What if an electric truck could replace the 40km delivery loop between IKEA Industry’s furniture factory in Paços de Ferreira and the Port of Leixões?

“After a couple of months of investigation, I realised it was too complex for us to do alone,” he says.

“Electrification is the biggest transport revolution after containerisation because it’s not only about replacing a diesel truck by an electric truck; it’s about revising the whole operating model.”

Adrien Garcia, Head of Transport Innovation at Inter IKEA Group

Leveraging the influence of IKEA as a major transport buyer, Garcia brought together KLOG Logistics and Scania to explore using an electric truck on the short and stable delivery loop between the IKEA factory and the port, from where it ships to IKEA distribution centres all over Europe. Scania provided the electric truck for KLOG, and invaluable help with modelling the outcomes based on load and route specifications of the load, plus performance analysis.

Getting the buy-in of APDL, the Port of Leixões’ administrators, was crucial. Like the IKEA factory, the port agreed to prioritise the electric truck’s deliveries to cut waiting time. And like the factory, the port made its own charging infrastructure available.

“We are considering energy management, charging time and driver. Reducing downtime leads to an increase in the productivity of the truck,” says Garcia.

Both the IKEA factory and the Port of Leixões made their own charging infrastructure available

How it works

Furniture is produced at the IKEA Industry factory in Paços de Ferreira.

Containers filled with the furniture are driven daily by KLOG in a Scania electric truck to the Port of Leixões, 40 km away.

At the port, they are loaded onto deep-sea or short-sea container ship services.

The electric truck then returns from the port to the factory with empty containers to be filled for the next shipment. Using these containers allows the factory and the port to simply clip to and unclip from the truck, a ‘pick and drop’ approach reducing the driver idle time by more than a half.

The truck’s battery is recharged at either of the electric charging stations at the IKEA facility or the port.

Shared commitment from all four partners

This exciting project has matching levels of engagement from everyone involved.

The transport company KLOG already has ambitious sustainability targets, and is working to establish intermodal (road and rail) freight corridors in Iberia and beyond.

“We are providing the truck and the driver, and creating the planning of the daily schedules that we need to implement this flow,” explains Dario Leal, the Director of KLOG’s Intermodal Division.

“It’s easier to implement an electric truck when you have a stable flow with regular volumes and short distances, so this project was perfect for us.”

Dario Leal, the Director of KLOG’s Intermodal Division

Leal says two big advantages for KLOG have been the priority lanes given at IKEA and the port, and the specific geography of the IKEA factory.

“The warehouse is on top of a hill, Penamaior, which we climb with the container empty and much lighter overall weight. Then, when we go to the port, we descend the mountain with a full container. The weight of truck and the trailer allows the drivers to use regenerative braking, saving energy and increasing the range of the truck.”

For APDL at the Port of Leixões, it was an easy decision to take part.

The Port of Leixões

“We aim to become carbon neutral by 2035, 15 years ahead of the Green Deal target. To make that possible we established a road map with an action plan with a lot of measures, including the electrification of our operations,” says Luis Monteiro, Head of the Environment and Energy Efficiency Division.

“So, this partnership is totally aligned with our strategy and turns that strategy into reality.”

Luis Monteiro, Head of the Environment and Energy Efficiency Division

Huge annual CO2 savings and big productivity boost

The project went live in 2024. Its initial success led to one Scania electric truck soon becoming three. Covering approximately 3,000 loads per year, this contributes to annual savings of around 75 tonnes of CO₂ emissions and increased loads.

Everyone is happy; especially Adrien Garcia at IKEA.

“The real operational impact is increased productivity, better service performance and secured capacity,” he says. “What we developed here in Portugal is proof of concept and a strong example to deploy in other markets and countries.

“I'm a true believer. I'm fully convinced this is the way to go.”

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