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Business giants team up to chart course to zero-emission HGVs

Posted on July 13, 2022 by dishanth

The new collaborative initiative, called HGVZero, is being overseen by Innovation Gateway. It will follow a similar model to Innovation Gateway’s EVZero scheme which was launched earlier this year in response to the need to scale electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure across the UK, but will be pan-European rather than national.

HGVZero’s founding members are supermarket giant Tesco, beverage bottler Coca-Cola European Partners, logistics providers Eddie Stobart and XPO, and parcel delivery service DPD.

Collaboratively, representatives from these businesses will map EV charging infrastructure across geographies where they operate, identifying gaps. They will also map refuelling infrastructure for alternatively-fuelled HGVs.

As a rule of thumb, the heavier the vehicle is, the more challenging it is to electrify. Few businesses have adopted pure electric HGVs to date and, going forward, a mix of technologies will likely be used in the private sector, including hybrid vehicles and those powered using alternative fuels like hydrogen and biomethane. HGVZero members will also be tasked with mapping the innovation landscape for HGVs.

Both mapping activities are set to be completed within six months. The maps will inform a joint action plan, outlining how players across the HGV value chain will tackle shared challenges relating to zero-emission HGV technologies and related infrastructure.

“HGV decarbonisation is a systemic critical challenge that we must address innovatively and as an industry.” Said XPO Logistics’ environmental and sustainability lead for the UK and Ireland, Dr Nicholas Head. “That’s why we are particularly excited to be working with a diverse group of organisations, including our haulage peers and global shippers, to develop joint solutions that will further accelerate the sustainability of HGV transport.”

In the UK, where Innovation Gateway is headquartered, the Government is aiming to end the sale of new petrol and diesel HGVs in phases through to 2040. The Transport Decarbonisation Plan last year proposed a ban on sales for ICE vehicles weighing 3.5-26 tonnes by 2035 and those weighing more than 26 tonnes by 2040.

These commitments intend to support the 2050 net-zero target. Road transport has been the UK’s highest emitting sector since 2016 and HGVs account for 18% of the UK’s transport-related greenhouse gas emissions.

Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company

In related news, Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company (CMBC) has confirmed that two fully electric HGVs will be added to its delivery fleet by the end of the month. One vehicle will be based out of its Thurrock depot and the other out of Cardiff. Both of these depots have had charging points installed, served using renewable electricity.

The vehicles, E-Tech D Wide models from Renault Trucks, will serve as a proof-of-concept trial for the brewer. They will replace two diesel vehicles in the first instance and, if the trial is successful, CMBC will look to add more of them to its 270-strong HGV fleet.

CMBC estimates that the vehicles will, between them, travel up to 19,000 miles per year with zero tailpipe emissions. Aside from contributing to its broader 1.5C-aligned climate efforts, the brewer sees benefits from the vehicles in terms of avoiding London Ultra-Low Emission Zone charges, reducing noise and reducing air pollution.

CBMC’s vice president for customer supply chain Sarah Perry said: “With the trucks capable of travelling up to 150 kilometres on a single charge, the urbanised areas of Cardiff and Essex are the ideal routes to test the potential of electric vehicles in our logistics network. This launch is potentially transformational to us as a brewer and logistics operator, but also in terms of helping pubs to build back greener after the pandemic.”

Source Edie

British startup Tevva launches hydrogen-electric truck with 310-mile range

Posted on July 4, 2022 by dishanth

KEY POINTS
According to Tevva, which says it has raised $140 million in funding, its vehicle will have a range of as much as 310 miles.

The company says its first hydrogen electric truck will weigh 7.5 metric tons, with later versions planned to weigh 12 and 19 metric tons.

While there is excitement in some quarters about the potential of hydrogen-powered vehicles, there are hurdles when it comes to expanding the sector.

U.K.-based startup Tevva on Thursday launched a hydrogen-electric heavy goods vehicle, becoming the latest company to make a play in a sector attracting interest from multinationals like Daimler Truck and Volvo.

According to Tevva, which says it has raised $140 million in funding, its vehicle will have a range of as much as 310 miles, or slightly under 500 kilometers.

Refilling the hydrogen tanks will take 10 minutes while charging the battery “from fully depleted to 100%” will take five to six hours.

The company’s first hydrogen-electric truck will weigh 7.5 metric tons, with later versions planned to weigh 12 and 19 metric tons.

In a statement, Tevva sought to explain the rationale behind combining a fuel cell and battery. “The fuel cell system tops up the battery, extending the vehicle’s range and allowing the truck to carry heavier loads over longer distances.”

Alongside its hydrogen-electric truck, the business has also developed an electric truck that it says has a range of up to 160 miles. Details of both the electric and hydrogen-electric trucks had been previously announced by Tevva.

In an interview with CNBC’s “Street Signs Europe” on Thursday, Tevva CEO Asher Bennett was asked whether his company was looking to diversify into smaller vehicles.

“We’re not interested in developing the smaller vans or the pickup trucks,” Bennett said. “Those are, in many instances, very similar technology to the larger EV sedans, which work very well,” he added.

“We’re very focused on the heavy goods trucks and we’re slowly going heavier and heavier because those are the segments that are much harder to electrify.”

With governments around the world looking to reduce the environmental footprint of transportation, a number of companies in the trucking sector are exploring ways to develop low and zero-emission vehicles, including ones that use hydrogen.

Last month, Volvo Trucks said it began to test vehicles that use “fuel cells powered by hydrogen,” with the Swedish firm claiming their range could extend to as much as 1,000 kilometers, or a little over 621 miles.

Gothenburg-headquartered Volvo Trucks said refueling of the vehicles would take under 15 minutes. Customer pilots are set to begin in the next few years, with commercialization “planned for the latter part of this decade.”

Alongside hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, Volvo Trucks — which is part of the Volvo Group — has also developed battery-electric trucks.

Like Volvo Trucks and Tevva, Daimler Truck is focusing on both battery-electric vehicles and ones that use hydrogen.

In an interview with CNBC last year, Martin Daum, chairman of the board of management at Daimler Truck, was asked about the debate between battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cells.

“We go for both because both … make sense,” he replied, before explaining how different technologies would be appropriate in different scenarios.

While there is excitement in some quarters about the potential of hydrogen-powered vehicles, there are hurdles when it comes to expanding the sector, not least when it comes to the development of adequate refueling infrastructure. The way hydrogen is produced is also an issue.

Both of these points were acknowledged by Volvo Trucks in June when it pointed to challenges including the “large-scale supply of green hydrogen” as well as “the fact that refueling infrastructure for heavy vehicles is yet to be developed.”

Hydrogen can be produced in a number of ways. One method includes using electrolysis, with an electric current splitting water into oxygen and hydrogen.

If the electricity used in this process comes from a renewable source such as wind or solar then some call it “green” or “renewable” hydrogen. Today, the vast majority of hydrogen generation is based on fossil fuels.

For its part, Tevva said it would help its customers “access sustainable and affordable hydrogen supplies safely and conveniently, alongside their purchase or lease of Tevva Hydrogen Trucks.”

Source CNBC

Budget 2022: More electric vehicle charging points closer to homes as part of Singapore Green Plan

Posted on February 24, 2022 by dishanth

SINGAPORE: From building more electric vehicle charging points to issuing more green bonds to fund public sector green infrastructure projects, Singapore is taking steps to “move decisively” towards a net-zero world.

Delivering his Budget speech on Friday (Feb 18), Finance Minister Lawrence Wong said the path towards net-zero will entail “significant” economic restructuring and changes in how people live and work in future.

“All of us – the public, businesses, the government – will face difficult choices,” he said. “Costly investments may be required, for example, to import or generate low carbon energy.”

“But now is the time when we must move decisively towards the future of a net-zero world. This will allow us to tap fully on the many exciting possibilities in this green transition.”

GREENING SINGAPORE’S TRANSPORT

To make transport greener, Singapore will accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs).

During Budget 2020, Deputy Prime Minister and then-Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat announced that the country would gradually phase out internal combustion engine vehicles by 2040.

Since then, the Government has provided “significant” incentives for EV adoption, said Mr Wong.

Last year, the EV share of new car registration jumped to around 4 per cent, up from 0.2 per cent in 2020, he added.

To keep up the momentum, Mr Wong announced that more EV charging points will be built closer to where people live.

“To do this, infrastructure upgrades will be necessary, and the financing can come from green bonds,” he said.

DEVELOPING A ROBUST GREEN FINANCE MARKET

Another area of focus for the country is green finance, which is currently one of the fastest-growing segments in the financial services sector. Singapore accounts for close to half of the ASEAN green bond and loan market.

“We aim to do more, so that banks and financial institutions will use Singapore as a base to develop their capabilities, and develop innovative green financial solutions to service their customers all over Asia and the world,” said Mr Wong.

To help develop a robust green finance market, Mr Wong announced that the government will issue S$35 billion of green bonds by 2030 to fund public sector green infrastructure projects. This is up from the S$19 billion of green bonds announced previously during last year’s Budget.

“This will include bonds issued by the government, as well as statutory boards. The government will also publish a Singapore Green Bond framework and issue its inaugural green bond later this year,” he added.

Source Channel News Asia

Government announces biofuel mandate for transport sector

Posted on December 16, 2021 by dishanth

The Government has announced it will mandate the use of biofuels for cars, trucks, trains and ships to reduce emissions in the transport sector.

Energy and Resources Minister Megan Woods announced on Wednesday a Sustainable Biofuels Mandate will take effect from April 1, 2023.

“Biofuels offer a practical, low-emissions solution to reduce New Zealand’s transport sector emissions and will be scaled up over time resulting in greater emissions reductions from transport fuels,” Woods said.

Fuel wholesalers – those who first import or refine fuels – must cut their total greenhouse gas emissions for transport fuels they sell by 1.2 per cent in 2023, then 2.4 per cent in 2024, and then 3.5 per cent in 2025, by replacing part of their supply with biofuels.

Biofuels will offer a practical, low-emissions solution to reduce New Zealand’s transport sector emissions and will be scaled up over time. (File photo)

“Land transport accounts for almost half of all of our national carbon dioxide emissions and we need to take action to start to mitigate transport’s impact on climate change,” Woods said.

She predicted the mandate would prevent around one million tonnes of emissions over the next three years.

“Biofuels mandates are common overseas with more than 60 jurisdictions having them; we had one on the cards more than a decade ago but it was repealed before it came into effect,” Woods said.

Transport Minister Michael Wood said that would reduce emissions from the transport sector emissions while the rest of the Clean Car Package “revs up”. This includes rebates for electric vehicles, more chargers along state highways, and a push to import more climate-friendly cars.

“We need to transition to low-emission vehicles, and biofuels will help reduce emissions while we make that transition,” he said. “Biofuels have the potential to boost economic recovery through encouraging a local industry and creating jobs.”

A separate mandate for aviation will be announced in 2022. (File photo) RICKY WILSON/STUFF

A separate mandate for aviation fuel would be developed next year; The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) was working with Air New Zealand on a study to determine the potential for producing sustainable aviation fuel domestically.

Statistics NZ data shows domestic aviation greenhouse emissions in 2018 were up 12 per cent from 2017, and up 17.7 percent from 1990. They made up 3.2 per cent of all carbon dioxide emissions in 2018.

However, there are concerns the mandate will hike the price of fuel. An MBIE report from June says: “A biofuels mandate will, however, increase fuel prices as biofuels cost more to produce.”

“If the Sustainable Biofuels Mandate is implemented as proposed, in 2025 it would result in a 0.2 per cent (0.4 cents per litre) increase in baseline petrol prices, a 5.8 percent (7.1 cents per litre) increase in baseline diesel prices.”

Minister Woods has been approached for comment.

Source Stuff

Woodstock going green

Posted on November 5, 2021 by dishanth

What is going on?

Guilty pleasures. When we hear these words, we imagine a reckless shopping spree at the local mall, staying in our pyjamas all day, or a non-meat-free McDonald’s breakfast. But you’d surely question your sanity when contemplating adding “going to a concert” to that list, wouldn’t you?

When we think of a concert, we think of artists, venues, and lots of fun, but seldom do we take its impact on other stakeholders into account. While technological progress has shifted much of the delivery of music from vinyl to the cloud, the concept of concerts has largely remained the same – including its environmental impact.

A Cambridge study revealed that a six-month tour of five musicians emits as much as 19 metric tonnes of CO₂(the same as driving an average passenger car for 80,000km), of which the majority can be traced to the running of the venue and the traveling of the band and audience. As artists find themselves in ever more conflicting situations – “performing art at the cost of the environment” – there is a need for solutions.

How is the industry reacting?

Are we to abandon the notion of concerts altogether? Luckily not. The industry’s creative streak has been passed onto innovative teams developing ideas on how to bring concerts and festivals into harmony with the planet. From kinetic dancefloors that satisfy an entire venue’s electricity needs to specialist logistics companies and carbon capture collaborations.

The music industry has done a lot to reduce the environmental costs of concerts, and Coldplay’s 2022 “Music of the Spheres” world tour acts as a prime example. After abandoning plans for a 2019 world tour due to its significant potential environmental impact, the Londoners consulted researchers and climate experts at Imperial College London’s Grantham Institute of Climate Change and the Environment.

In doing so, they have managed to reduce the anticipated carbon footprint of their upcoming musical spectacle by as much as 50 per cent compared to previous tours by using a kinetic dancefloor at venues, utilising EVs for transport where possible, and by storing excess energy in recycled BMW i3 batteries (to name just a few).

What’s the message?

“We won’t get everything right, but we’re committed to doing everything we can and sharing what we learn”. Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin’s words could not be more fitting. Especially as the band experienced a backlash for flying on private jets. Concerts and the music industry as a whole won’t turn “net-zero” overnight, but the will for change and collaboration is evidently there.

Unlike with some industry groups, musicians are proactively approaching the issue themselves, well-aware of the environmental implications, and without the need for regulations. And while there are certainly ways that such movement can be supported from a portfolio perspective, we’d much rather for the time being attend a “conscious artist’s” concert – there are plenty (Maroon 5, Fleetwood Mac, Harry Styles and more)!

Source Eco Business

The fuel economy of electric cars: How far can you go on a single charge?

Posted on November 1, 2021 by dishanth

Electric cars are becoming an increasingly popular option for drivers who’re conscious about the impact they’re having on the environment. And while critics of the past might have cited a lack of range in their batteries, things are quite different in 2021.

Cars are now built with distance in mind – without compromising on their overall performance and environmental impact. But just how far can some of the best electric cars travel on a single charge?

To find the answer to that question, check out our comparison tool. We’ve taken data from some of the best electric cars on the market to find out which can take you furthest on just one battery recharge.

For those of you who want to learn a little more about electric cars in general, read on to get a better understanding of just how this exciting new way to travel is slowly becoming the norm for British roads. The future is well and truly here.

Chapter 1. What you need to know about electric cars

It may be that you’re interested in trying out an electric car yourself, but just haven’t found the courage to take that leap of faith. If that’s you – or even if you’re just interested to find out more about this unique breed of vehicle – here are some of the most important things you should know.

Electric car statistics – How the world is adapting

While electric cars may have once seemed like an unrealistic and impractical way to travel, the technological advancements made throughout the 21st Century have meant that the prevalence of this type of vehicle on the road has soared.

The drivers of the world have seen the merits of electric alternatives, with more people seeming to place a focus on sustainable and environmentally friendly alternatives.

The numbers strongly support that, with exponential growth demonstrated on a consistent basis on electric vehicle sales since 2013. Figures from Virta show that, with the exception of 2019, the global electric market saw a rise of at least 43% in growth every year until 2020.

The full numbers showed:

The drop in growth to just 9% in 2019 may have initially implied a declining interest in electric vehicles. In reality, it was the combination of the industry’s hugely successful 2018 and the first throws of the COVID-19 pandemic in China, which triggered this sudden slide. As we enter 2021 and beyond, the numbers appear to be back on track.

The total number of electric cars on the road sailed to as high as 10 million, which was itself a 41% rise on the figure at the end of the previous year (and up significantly from just 1.2 million at the end of 2015).

Across the globe, powerhouses like China, the US and most of Europe have all begun to adopt this new and more sustainable form of transport. IEA highlighted in their 2021 Global EV Outlook how each of these regions has readily adopted electric, with the numbers showing:

Within Europe, Germany and the United Kingdom are amongst the leading names in terms of the pure number of vehicles being registered. The Germans saw an increase of 395,000, while UK numbers increased by 176,000.

But it is in Scandinavia where the concept of electric transport has been most readily adopted. The three leading countries for the percentage of new car sales being electric across the globe were:

Perhaps most encouragingly of all for the market is the news that both plug-in and pure electric battery options have seen significant and continued growth. Numbers of registrations for both across the past five years show:

Right now, everything is pointing towards an electric takeover at some point in the next decade..

The future of electric cars and the road

With the 2030 ban on selling petrol and diesel cars set to come into effect in the not-too-distant future, electric cars currently stand as the most viable alternative. But just how is this shift to a more sustainable form of transport going to translate on British roads?

Some of the most impactful changes we could see include:

Widescale electric vehicle (EV) adoption

One of the most common features of a largely electric future will be a steady and continued rise in the number of battery and plug-in powered cars we see on roads. In truth, as our figures have shown, this is something that is happening as we speak.

Charging points

The need to regularly stop and charge a car might seem like a hassle, but, with a higher percentage of EVs on the road, accommodations will be made to ensure there is an ample supply of charging points. Once again, this is something which has seen a rapid rise in recent years. Between just 2016 and June of 2021, numbers have increased from roughly 6,000 to just under 25,000 in the UK.

Synergy with other technology

This continued popularity and growth is sure to open up new avenues of opportunity for tech industries. Driverless cars are perhaps the most intriguing prospect – with this technology relying heavily on the need for electrical automation.

Smart motorways

While this is still something of a pipe dream right now, provisions have been put in place to start thinking about a self-charging smart motorway. This would eliminate the need to constantly stop and recharge a car, with vehicles being constantly topped up as they travel.

Sustainability rates of electric cars

Even the most staunch supporter of traditional internal combustion engines (ICE) can’t deny the environmental advantages an electric car offers. In fact, the numbers show that just one electric car can save as much as 1.5 metric tonnes of CO₂ across a year when compared to a combustion engine. To put that in perspective, that’s as many as four return flights from London to Barcelona.

But what other environmental benefits does driving an electric car offer?

Recycled products

Some (although not all) electric cars have parts and fittings which are made from exclusively recycled materials. This is more commonly the case with their internal features (like seats, trims and dashboards).

Health benefits

With fewer exhaust emissions to the surrounding air that you breath and contribute to climate change, you and those around you are bound to naturally benefit from a cleaner, healthier environment.

Efficiency

An electric car can use as much as 90% of energy generated to become motion energy. By comparison, a combustion engine will average roughly 20-30%. This efficiency means less goes to waste.

Heightened vehicle safety

While it’s often overlooked, the nature of an electric car’s construction means it is inherently safer. They benefit from a number of design features which makes the car less of a risk. Those include:

A lower centre of gravity (reducing the chances of rolling over)
A much lower risk of fires and explosions
A tougher body structure, to make them more durable in a collision

Chapter 2. How far can you go on a single charge?

It used to be that electric vehicles were criticised because of their battery life. In the 2020s, things are very different – with some cars even able to go as far on one charge as an average-sized fuel tank.

But just how far can they go? Use our interactive tool to work out how far each of the electric cars we’ve focused on can travel after just one full charge.

The future of electric cars and the road

As you can see, you’ll get quite far on just the one charge these days. But there are ways to ensure you really get the maximum out of your car. Try these handy tips:

Make sure to keep all of these in mind if you want to go as far as possible on just one charge.

Chapter 3.

Planning for a long distance journey

Now that you better appreciate the range of your electric car, it’s time to put that battery to use. Heading away on a road trip is always rewarding – and an increasingly popular option in the age of COVID-19. Let’s explore everything you need to keep in mind when hitting the open road.

Charging your electric car

While this is a lot easier to manage than in the past, some consideration still needs to be made when planning out the battery management of your car. Follow this handy advice to ensure you aren’t caught out when you travel:

Packing essential items

No matter where you’re going, there are a handful of essential items which make any road trip much easier. Whether it’s to keep you on course, or just to provide some home comforts, these are amongst the most important to keep in mind for your trip:

Staying awake and alert

Safety on the road is paramount, whether you’re driving for five minutes or five hours. The key to lowering your chances of causing an accident is to make sure you’re as alert as possible every time you get behind the wheel. Here are some of the most important and effective ways of doing just that:

A good night’s sleep

Nothing beats getting a full night of rest when it comes to feeling awake and alert. Having the chance to refresh and recharge is why we sleep in the first place – so make sure to always get enough by going to bed at a reasonable time the night before a long journey.

Shifts

If you’re lucky enough to be on the journey with another driver, make sure to take it in turns behind the wheel. This will give you both the much-needed time to relax and not have to worry about concentrating on the task at hand.

Take breaks

Whether you’re sharing shifts or not, it’s also wise to take regular breaks. The Highway Code recommends stopping for at least 15 minutes every two hours as a guideline. Your body will know when it’s time to take a little break.

Top tips for a long trip with a young family

Keeping little ones entertained can be a challenge at the best of times, let alone on long car trips. Thankfully, you’re not the first to experience this hurdle. Here are some of the most tried-and-tested methods to keep the kids satisfied while you drive:

Source Auto Trader

On board with net zero: the transport boss trying to drive down emissions

Posted on July 20, 2021 by dishanth

David Brown of Go-Ahead is promising that his company’s bus and train operations will be carbon-free by 2035.

‘Personally, I think that’s quite cool!” David Brown, 60, is beaming like a young boy, having just recognised the bus controller at the terminus outside Victoria station as a colleague who joined London Transport at the same time as him, almost 40 years ago. “People stick in transport a long time. That’s what I love about it. They’re doing a frontline job, I’m just doing mine, there’s no difference really.”

Except Brown is trying to steer not just buses but a multinational transport group as chief executive of Go-Ahead – in particular, to wrestle its emissions down to net zero, as the sector faces up to being the biggest contributor to greenhouse gases. This year he will leave the group – whose operations include Thameslink, Southern and Southeastern trains and buses in London and nationwide – after a decade at the helm.

While Covid threatens to unravel a lot of the work done to build up rail and bus services during Brown’s career, he is clear that climate change is the bigger long-term issue. Transport has far surpassed energy generation as the biggest CO₂ culprit – making up a quarter of UK emissions – and last week Go-Ahead made a pledge that its 5,000 UK buses and trains would be entirely zero-emission by 2035, cutting its CO₂ by 75%. It aims to hit net zero by 2045, before the national target, by offsetting the remainder.

Although Go-Ahead’s decarbonisation strategy – edged off stage by the government’s, which was published the same day – sets out many ambitions, it admits that many are not in its own hands. So what exactly is the point?

“It’s galvanising 30,000 people to get behind a climate strategy,” says Brown. “It’s a sense of purpose. What we deliver is helping solve climate change problems – if you get people on to public transport you’re taking them out of their cars.” About 55% of transport emissions are private cars, he says; just 3% come from buses, and 1% from trains.

The pledges assume continued government spending on hydrogen and electric vehicles, and subsidy for green operations. Brown lobbied for a change announced in the government’s decarbonisation plan, improving bus operators’ grants for running electric vehicles to 22p per kilometre. “It transforms the economics for investing in new buses.”

A high-speed train belonging to Southeastern, one of Go-Ahead’s rail franchises Photograph: Johnny Green/PA

He thinks there are opportunities for more hydrogen buses, but is cautious: “The capital cost is huge and it’s unknown what the ongoing operating costs and lifetime costs will be.”

Go-Ahead’s north London depot at Northumberland Park will be what Brown bills as “the first bus-to-grid virtual power station”, where electric buses charge slowly overnight, and put energy back into the network from their batteries when supplies are needed, as wind and solar supplies – and prices – fluctuate.

In all this, as the small print of the strategy makes clear, there is a commercial imperative: “If Go-Ahead does not take action on this issue, our competitors will – and those with more climate-friendly reputations could ultimately take market share from us. This would weaken our business.”

Brown happily concurs. “There’s an altruistic view, and a commercial reason for doing it, in terms of positioning. And a people reason: younger people especially are attracted to work for companies who have purpose and are doing the right thing environmentally.”

Right now, though, public transport faces a more immediate crisis, with passenger numbers still only about half of pre-pandemic levels. And there is a renewed focus on the risks with Covid cases soaring, particularly as mask-wearing becomes optional on trains in England.

Brown frowns. “Whenever anyone talks about a tight, packed environment, they talk about public transport – and I want to scream and say hold on, the average journey time on a bus is 18 minutes max, the doors are opening all the time, fresh air is coming in and out, the windows are open on the top deck. You really aren’t exposed as you would be in a packed pub sitting there for two hours, there’s no comparison.”

He doesn’t mention names, but the prime minister, Brown’s former boss when mayor of London, suggested even as he was removing the legal requirement to wear masks that people “might choose to do so in enclosed spaces, such as public transport”.

We used to bring 150,000 people into London Bridge every morning. They’re not coming at the moment.That affects everyone. – David Brown, Go-Ahead

Brown argues: “There seems to be a little bit of demonising it and that shouldn’t be the case. There is no evidence that anyone can catch Covid on a train or a bus, none whatsoever.”

That conviction comes despite the Covid deaths of a significant number of bus drivers. Brown says Go-Ahead believes none contracted Covid at the depot or while working.

Another factor may be at play, he suggests, comparing the clamour to travel abroad on planes, which are more enclosed than buses or trains: “People are choosing to do that because the prize at the end is going on a holiday. They might not be choosing public transport because the prize at the end is going to work.”

He sees a similar phenomenon with rail: “We have much busier trains at the weekend now, people are going to the coast – they love it, they don’t worry about what’s happening in the trains in those circumstances.”

On the mask issue, he says, he wants transport “to be treated the same as other parts of the economy”. If he could choose, “I’d want to say, everyone should be doing it everywhere, in any environment, I want that consistency”. Come Monday, he will still wear a mask. “It’s not protecting you, it’s protecting other people … it’s just a polite thing to do.”

Covid, he says, has only accelerated underlying changes towards working from home and ordering goods. “I don’t think we’ll go back to packed trains, because social trends are changing. Commuter journeys are going to become more discretionary.”

But net-zero targets depend on people returning to public transport, rather than the car, he says. “We have to find ways of getting people back on the railways, and we have to tackle the costs, because the cost base is not sustainable now.”

However, he points out that public transport is often seen abroad as part of the “fabric of society”, and subsidised accordingly. ”You need to cut your cloth, attract customers – and you may need government money, because of the social benefits.”

Nowhere is this more apparent to him than in the capital. “We used to bring 150,000 people into London Bridge every morning. They’re not coming at the moment. That affects everyone. The big fear I have for places like London is how do you keep that vibrancy of the city centre, if you don’t have all those people coming in? You need all that activity and buzz – otherwise, you’re just in the suburbs.”

It seems inconceivable to remember, he says, that in the job-scarce 1980s, when he started as a graduate trainee, the discussion at London Transport was about cutting back the Bakerloo and the Northern lines because the population of the capital was in decline.

But without public transport, “it wouldn’t move, it wouldn’t function”. The challenge now for operators, he says, is “making sure that when people do come back, that we’re ready and we’re there for them. If they don’t find that the 7.25am is still operating or we don’t have the same frequency of service, then we’ve got a problem.”

By @GwynTopham

Source The Guardian

Maersk eyes ‘leapfrog’ to carbon neutral fuels in shipping

Posted on July 5, 2021 by dishanth

The Danish shipping giant is looking at ways of cutting emissions this decade, saying the industry needs to act with a “crisis mindset” in order to respond to the climate emergency.

For Maersk, this means ditching transition fuels such as liquified natural gas (LNG), which are cleaner than the heavy oil traditionally used in large vessels but are still harmful to the environment because they are made from fossil gas.

“From our perspective as a company, we believe we have to leapfrog to carbon neutral fuels for our vessels and for transportation in general,” said Morten Bo Christiansen, head of decarbonisation at Maersk.

“Any talk about so-called transition fossil fuels is simply not relevant from our perspective, it’s simply not solving the problem,” he told an online press briefing last month. “The last thing we need is another cycle of fossil fuel assets,” he added, pointing out that ships built today have an average lifetime of about 20 to 30 years and will therefore still be around in 2050.

International shipping accounts for 2.2% of global carbon dioxide emissions, according to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), more than aviation’s 2% share. The IMO, a United Nations agency, has said it aims to halve greenhouse gas emissions from 2008 levels by 2050.

Methanol: ‘The here and now’

Because of the urgency to cut emissions already this decade, Christiansen said the first solution Maersk can turn to is methanol, which he described as a mature technology. “And we see later also ammonia,” he added.

The problem is that methanol today is mostly made from coal or natural gas, which are both polluting, Christiansen continued. This is why Maersk is looking at green methanol made from biomass gasification, or so-called “Power-to-X” where biogenic CO2 is added to hydrogen. “And same with ammonia, made from hydrogen and then just adding nitrogen.”

The hope is that these alternative shipping fuels will gradually become greener as biomass, ammonia and hydrogen are produced in growing quantities using sustainable production methods.

“But again, the ‘here and now’ perspective is that there is actually only one solution and that’s methanol,” Christiansen said, adding there are safety aspects to ammonia that need to be solved before it can be used on a commercial scale.

Maersk is seen as a trailblazer in the shipping industry when it comes to decarbonisation. On 2 June, the Danish firm called for a carbon tax on ship fuel to encourage the transition to cleaner alternatives. The Danish firm proposed a tax of at least $450 per tonne of fuel, which works out to $150 per tonne of carbon.

Maersk CEO Soren Skou called the tax proposal “a levy to bridge the gap between the fossil fuels consumed by vessels today and greener alternatives that are currently more expensive.”

Bottleneck

The main obstacle to green shipping fuels is scale. Production is still tiny and a massive increase in volume would be needed to decarbonise the shipping industry.

That requires quickly ramping up production of renewable electricity to produce green hydrogen “because that will very soon become the bottleneck here,” said Ulrik Stridbæk, head of regulatory affairs at Ørsted, the Danish energy firm.

“So we’re trying to match this with the electrons that will hopefully start to flow from the Baltic Sea,” said Stridbæk, who cited Danish government plans to build an “energy island” off Bornholm in the Baltic Sea to harness production of offshore wind to serve the Danish and German markets.

“This is the vision,” Stridbæk said. “Producing very large scale renewable electricity, and converting it” into green hydrogen and eFuels that can be used in the maritime and aviation sector.

Last year, Danish companies – including Ørsted, Scandinavian Airlines, and Maersk – launched the Green Fuels for Denmark initiative, with the aim of ramping up the production of renewable hydrogen in the country.

The first phase, targeted for 2023, would see the construction of a 10MW electrolyser to produce renewable hydrogen to be used as fuel for buses and trucks. By 2030, the capacity would reach 1.3GW, enough to supply the creation of more than 250,000 tonnes of sustainable fuel.

Access to renewable electricity

“Clearly the constraining factor here will be the production of these fuels and the access to the renewable energy that is needed,” said Maersk’s Christiansen.

However, the cost of producing green fuels – whether methanol, ammonia, or hydrogen – is prohibitively expensive at the moment. And while demand is expected to boom in the coming years, eFuels are expected to remain more expensive than oil until the end of this decade, Christiansen said.

“A market based system, some kind of carbon price would surely level the playing field and incentivise investments into this. That is clearly something that would help and would be needed in the long term,” he said.

At EU level, the European Commission is preparing proposals to mandate a gradual incorporation of green jet fuel in aviation, with percentages increasing over the years. A certification scheme for renewable and low-carbon fuels is also under consideration as part of the revision of the EU’s renewable energy directive.

The proposal “will come with an updated set of incentives to promote the use of these fuels in various sectors,” the EU’s Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson announced in February.

The EU executive is also preparing a green fuel law for shipping – FuelEU Maritime – which is due to be published on 14 July.

A draft of that law, seen by The Guardian, has opted for a goal-based approach that would set increasingly stringent “greenhouse gas intensity targets” to be met for the energy used on board.

The result is that LNG would be eligible to power EU ships until around 2040, a prospect environmental groups described as “a disaster.”

Source EURACTIV

Rolls-Royce launches pathway to power net zero economy

Posted on June 17, 2021 by dishanth

Focused on producing the technology breakthroughs society needs to decarbonise three critical areas of the global economy and capture the economic opportunity of the transition to net zero
New products compatible with net zero by 2030, whole business compatible by 2050
By 2023, all in-production civil aero engines to be proven compatible with 100% sustainable aviation fuels, contributing to UN Race to Zero breakthrough goal for sustainable aviation
Science-based target to reduce lifetime emissions of new sold products from Power Systems by 35% by 2030; new generation Series 2000, 4000 engines to be certified for sustainable fuel by 2023
Increasing proportion of gross R&D spent on lower carbon and net zero technologies to 75% by 2025 to decarbonise transport, energy and the built environment

Accelerating the race to a zero carbon economy

We are today setting out our near-term actions to achieve net zero by 2050 at the latest. Our pathway shows how we will focus our technological capabilities to play a leading role in enabling significant elements of the global economy to get to net zero carbon by 2050, including aviation, shipping, and power generation. This includes the development of new technologies, enabling an accelerated take-up of sustainable fuels and driving step-change improvements in efficiency. One year on from joining the UN Race to Zero campaign, we are announcing plans to make all our new products compatible with net zero by 2030, and all our products in operation compatible by 2050.

These products power some of the most carbon intensive parts of the economy. We are also introducing short-term targets – linked to executive remuneration – to accelerate the take-up of sustainable fuels, which have a key role to play in the decarbonisation of some of our markets, especially long-haul aviation. We are already well advanced with net zero and zero carbon technologies across our Power Systems portfolio and as a result have sufficiently reliable data to be able to define a science-based interim target to reduce by 35% the lifetime emissions of new products sold by the business by 2030.

Driving system change to meet Paris Agreement climate goals

There is no single solution to net zero and so we are innovating across multiple areas simultaneously. However, the pace and prioritisation of technological solutions, as well as global consistency and collaboration in policy, will also be key to success. Consequently, we are expanding our collaboration with partners, industry leaders and governments across the three critical systems in which we operate – transport, energy and the built environment – to accelerate progress. These hard to abate sectors are all identified by the UN Race to Zero as requiring technological breakthroughs in order to meet the Paris Agreement climate goals and limit the global temperature rise to 1.5°C.

Warren East, CEO, Rolls-Royce, said: “At Rolls-Royce, we believe in the positive, transforming potential of technology. We pioneer power that is central to the successful functioning of the modern world. To combat the climate crisis, that power must be made compatible with net zero carbon emissions. This is a societal imperative as well as one of the greatest commercial and technological opportunities of our time. Our products and services are used in aviation, shipping and energy generation, where demand for power is increasing as the world’s population grows, becomes increasingly urbanised, more affluent and requires more electricity. These sectors are also among those where achieving net zero carbon is hardest. As a result, our innovative technology has a fundamental role to play in enabling and even accelerating, the overall global transition to a net zero carbon future. We believe that as the world emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic and looks to build back better, global economic growth can be compatible with a net zero carbon future and that Rolls-Royce can help make that happen.”

Nigel Topping, UN High Level Champion for COP26, added: “Winning the race to a zero emission economy by 2050 at the latest requires radical collaboration and technology breakthroughs across energy, transport and the built environment – critical parts of the economy that are also among the hardest to decarbonise. By organising its industrial technology capabilities to deliver the system change society needs, Rolls-Royce is putting itself at the forefront of the defining economic opportunity of our time; one that customers want to buy, investors want to back, and the brightest talent want to apply their skills to.”

Pioneering the innovations that can enable the transition

We have many years of experience in pioneering solutions to some of society’s toughest technological challenges and, increasingly, we have focused that effort on the creation of sustainable power. We already make the world’s most efficient large civil aero-engine in service today, the Trent XWB, and its successor, UltraFan®, will be 25% more efficient than first generation Trent engines, significantly improving the economics of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). In addition, we have built a microgrid business and designed a small modular reactor (SMR) power plant with the potential to transform how we power cities or industrial processes. We are investing in battery storage technology, demonstrating fuel cells and building a leading position in all-electric and hybrid-electric flight. Next month our Spirit of Innovation all-electric plane will take to the sky as it prepares to break the world all-electric flight speed record. Collectively and individually, these technologies represent the extensive expertise Rolls-Royce has to enable a net zero world.

Pivoting our R&D investment to lower and net zero carbon solutions

In line with the commitments we have made under the UN Race to Zero campaign, we are aligning our business model to the Paris Climate Agreement goals and setting out the pathway that will take us to net zero. We are already boosting our research and development (R&D) expenditure to pivot towards lower and net zero carbon technologies, moving from approximately 50% of our gross R&D spend today to at least 75% by 2025.

Our decarbonisation strategy

Our strategy has three interconnected pillars:

1. Decarbonising our operations: We will eliminate emissions from our own operations (scope 1 & 2) by 2030^*. Some facilities will achieve this target sooner, such as our production site at Bristol, UK, which is set to be the first Rolls-Royce facility to achieve net zero carbon status, in 2022.

2. Decarbonising complex, critical systems by enabling our products to be used in a way that is compatible with net zero and pioneering new breakthrough technologies that can accelerate the global transition to net zero. A wholesale transformation of the systems that make up the backbone of our global economy is required to achieve net zero and we can help accelerate that transition firstly by further advancing the efficiency of our engine portfolio through next generation technologies, to improve the economics of sustainable fuels; and secondly by introducing new low or zero emission products, including fuel cells, microgrids, hybrid-electric and all-electric technologies. To help accelerate the take-up of SAFs, we will make all our civil aero-engines in production compatible with 100% SAF, through testing, by 2023. This means two thirds^** of our current fleet of Trent large jet engines and three fifths of our business jet engines will be SAF-ready within three years and aligns with the UN Race to Zero breakthrough goal of 10% of all the fuel used in aviation being SAF by 2030. The current generation of SAFs reduce lifecycle carbon emissions by up 70% but this is assumed to increase to 100% as production pathways for synthetically derived fuels mature. We will work with our customers in the armed forces to achieve the same goal for the Rolls-Royce engines they use and, as the use of SAFs increases, we will ensure that our future combat systems are compatible with net zero carbon. By 2023, we also intend to certify for use with sustainable fuels, the new generation of our mtu Series 2000 and Series 4000 engines. These represent the majority of the reciprocating engines we manufacture and are used across a range of applications from power generation to rail and shipping. Achieving all our 2023 targets now forms part of our executive remuneration policy.

3. Actively advocating for the necessary enabling environment and policy support to achieve this ambition.

Among our technological innovations:

In all-electric aviation, we are moving from demonstrators to commercial deals, such as with the UK’s Vertical Aerospace in the urban air mobility market, and with Italian airframer Tecnam and Norwegian airline Wideroe in the all-electric commuter aircraft. We are also currently testing the most powerful hybrid-electric propulsion system in aerospace and continuing to progress with our UltraFan aero engine, which will be 25% more efficient than the first generation Trent engines and improve the economics of SAFs. We are already exploring the use of SAFs in defence applications, including as part of our involvement in the Tempest programme in the UK.
We are advancing and selling microgrids, complete with our own battery storage solutions, to help expand the use of renewable energy across remote communities and our energy-intensive digital economy. We are also exploring additional functionality through the introduction of fuel cells to provide clean power for industrial vehicles and processes.
We are testing hydrogen fuel cell modules at our Power Systems facility in Germany and plan to have integrated 2MW of hydrogen fuel cells into operational microgrid demonstrators by 2023.
Our SMR consortium is set to make a significant contribution to net zero through its innovative approach to power generation, providing a generational change in the cost of nuclear energy. At 470MW, each SMR could help decarbonise a city of a million homes. With UK Government assistance and third party investment, the programme is now entering a new phase leading to design approval and power on the grid at the end of the decade.

Pioneering sustainable, net zero power sits at the heart of our strategy, future innovation and growth agenda. Our decarbonisation strategy will ensure that Rolls-Royce is not only compatible with, but actively enabling, a net zero future.

For an executive summary of our net zero report visit https://www.rolls-royce.com/~/media/Files/R/Rolls-Royce/documents/others/rr-net-zero-exec-summary.pdf, and for the full pathway including the steps we are taking to lead the transition to net zero carbon visit https://www.rolls-royce.com/~/media/Files/R/Rolls-Royce/documents/others/rr-net-zero-full-report.pdf. We are committed to playing our part in the global journey to net zero. Undoubtedly, the very nature of this transition will mean that there may be general and sector specific circumstances which will influence the output from our roadmap. These are set out on page 32 of the full report. We also recognise that we must be prepared and able to adjust our decarbonisation ambitions in the context of the changing landscape.

^*Our current scope 1 & 2 target excludes product testing and development. Currently, only a 50% blend with traditional fuels is approved for use in commercial aviation. We are playing an active role in advocating for this to rise to 100%. As an interim measure we are committing to 10% of the fuel we use in testing and development activities being SAF by 2023.

^**Based on in-service fleet as of end December 2019; Based on the in-service fleet as of end December 2020, over 80% of our Trent engine fleet would be SAF-ready by 2023, but usage in 2020 was obviously impacted by the pandemic.

https://www.rolls-royce.com/innovation/net-zero.aspx

Source Rolls Royce

Why it’s the end of the road for petrol stations

Posted on June 14, 2021 by dishanth

The big worry for most people thinking about buying an electric car is how to charge the thing.

But the real question you should be asking is how you’re going to refuel your petrol or diesel vehicle if you don’t go electric.

That’s because electric cars are going to send the petrol station business into a death spiral over the next two decades, making electric vehicles the default option for all car owners.

Why? Because charging electric vehicles is going to become much more straightforward than refuelling petrol and diesel cars.

This isn’t just because the government has banned the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030.

Imagine we were going the other way, replacing electric cars with fossil fuel power.

You are writing the risk assessment for a new petrol station. You want to dig a big hole in the ground in the middle of town, put in some tanks and fill them up with an enormous amount of highly flammable fuel.

Then you’re proposing to attach a really powerful pump and invite in random members of the public.

They’ll arrive in vehicles with hot engines. You’ll hand them the really powerful pump that sprays the highly flammable liquid.

As petrol is hazardous, refilling has to be done at petrol stations GETTY IMAGES

Without any supervision they’ll use it to transfer large quantities of the highly flammable liquid into their hot vehicle, they’ll pay you and drive off.

Are you OK to sign off on that? Do you think Health and Safety will give it the green light?

My point is that fuelling cars with petrol and diesel is dangerous, which is why we do it at specially-designed centralised refuelling points.

Ubiquitous power

Electricity, by contrast, is pretty much everywhere already. Where’s your car now? Do you think it might be near an electricity cable? Exactly.

The only challenge is how to bring that electricity a few feet to the surface so you can start getting it into your battery.

And you don’t need to be Thomas Edison to work that out.

The goal for the electric car industry is to have recharging anywhere you can park GETTY IMAGES

If you live in a flat or a house without a drive, don’t worry. The aim is to have an electric vehicle (EV) charging point at virtually every parking place.

Erik Fairbairn’s electric vehicle recharging company, Pod Point, wants to be part of this effort to rewire the UK.

“You’ll get to a point where you barely ever think about energy flowing into your car again,” he predicts.

Of course, we’re a long way from that utopia, and that should be no surprise.

We’re just at the beginning of the electric revolution: just 7% of new cars are electric and they make up a tiny fraction of vehicles on the road, so there isn’t a huge market.

But, as I argued in my previous piece, change is coming fast and investment in charging infrastructure is coming with it.

There will be good profits to be made when millions of us want to recharge, just as there was a boom in petrol station construction at the dawn of the age of the car a century ago.

The first people to get charging technology at home are those with driveways who can run a cable to their electric cars.

They can already install special charging points that recharge car batteries overnight from the power supply to the house, often using the cheapest possible rates.

Typically this is a slow process. For every hour of charging you’ll get 30 miles or so of driving, but who cares when most people leave their cars parked overnight anyway and you are only paying a couple of pence a mile?

Some local authorities have begun to install similar chargers in lampposts, designers are working on charging points that can be built into the kerb and some workplaces are already putting in chargers for their employees.

We’ll be seeing lots more of all of these innovations in the years to come.

We are also starting to see some businesses putting charging points in for their customers.

You can expect to see charging points everywhere in years to come GETTY IMAGES

In fact, free charging is likely to become like free Wi-Fi, a little bribe to lure you into the shop.

Electric vehicle optimists paint a world where you can plug in anywhere you park – at home while you sleep, as you work, when you are shopping or at the cinema.

Pretty much whatever you are doing, energy will be flowing into your car.

At this point, says Erik Fairbairn, 97% of electric car charging will happen away from petrol pump equivalents.

“Imagine someone came around and filled up your car with petrol every night so you had 300 miles of range every morning,” he says. “How often would you need anything else?”

In this brave new world, you’ll only ever pull over into a service station on really epic, long journeys when you’ll top up your battery for 20-30 minutes while you have a coffee and use the facilities.

Death sentence

If this prediction is correct it is a death sentence for many of the 8,380 petrol stations in the UK.

And the decline of the industry could come surprisingly quickly. Think about it. As electric vehicles begin to edge out petrol and diesel there will be less refuelling business to go around. Those service stations on the edge of viability will begin to go to the wall.

That’ll make it that little bit harder for petrol and diesel drivers to find a service station to fill up in and the remaining operators may also feel the need to up their prices to maintain profits.

So, fewer and quite possibly more expensive petrol stations. Meanwhile, it will be getting easier and easier to charge your electric car. What’s more, as the market scales up, electric vehicles will become cheaper to buy.

You see where this is going: the more petrol stations close, the more likely we all are to go electric. In turn, more petrol stations will be forced to close. And so on.

That’s why I called it a death spiral.

As petrol stations become scarce, electric cars will become more attractive GETTY IMAGES

And don’t worry about where the electricity to power all these new cars will come from.

The National Grid says it won’t have a problem charging all the electric vehicles that are going to come onto our roads.

In fact, it isn’t expecting much of an increase in demand, just 10% when everyone is driving electric.

That’s because we drive much less than we tend to imagine. The average car journey is just 8.4 miles, according to the Department for Transport.

And, explains Isabelle Haigh, the head of national control for the National Grid, there is already quite a lot of spare capacity built into the system.

“Most charging will not be at time of peak, and peak demand has been reducing over the years so we are very confident there is enough energy to meet demand,” she says.

That’s because the grid is designed to meet the moments of greatest demand – half time in the Cup Final when we all put the kettle on, for example.

The rest of the time some generators sit idle. Electric vehicles will be able to make use of them and, because people typically charge overnight when demand is low, they are unlikely to raise the peak demand at all.

Smart charging systems will also help. They allow your charger to talk to the grid to work out the best time for your car to charge.

The idea is to make sure you get the cheapest power and also help the grid smooth out the peaks and troughs in demand.

Smart charging also helps make maximum use of renewable resources, allowing drivers to cash in on the plentiful and therefore cheap electricity available on a windy day, for instance.

Seances and convenience stores

However, the end of the service station should not be a cause for celebration. They are the only retail outlet left in some small towns and villages, and a lifeline for many people.

So, can they find an alternative role? Jack Simpson believes some will be able to.

The site of the Hyde Park Book Club was a petrol station for more than 80 years GETTY IMAGES

He’s converted an old petrol station in Leeds into a plant shop/bar/music venue/restaurant/art gallery called the Hyde Park Book Club. It has even hosted seances.

“People were popping in for dinner and I was like, Oh I’m really sorry, there’s a séance going on,” explains Jack.

He says the site’s central location, large forecourt and roomy buildings make it a very flexible venue.

“I think it also fits in with this post hipster obsession with 20th Century Western culture,” he says.

Brian Madderson, the chairman of the Petrol Retailers Association (PRA), is more down to earth. The PRA represents 5,500 independent fuel retailers who account for 70% of all forecourts and Mr Madderson says his members have started adapting to the post internal combustion engine world.

Many are already investing in full convenience stores, high-quality take away food and automated car washes to boost their income and, he says, they will continue to enable motorists to fill up their petrol and diesel vehicles for as long as is feasible.

He thinks the transition away from petrol and diesel will take decades. “These vehicles will simply not disappear off the roads overnight. Petrol and diesel stations will be essential in keeping the country mobile beyond 2030,” he says.

Maybe. Yet technological change can be very rapid and very disruptive.

Look what happened to the horse and cart at the turn of the 20th Century.

Some service stations will certainly live on – those on motorways, for example – but many are likely to go the same way as the people Jack Simpson’s guests were trying to reach at their séance – unless they can find new ways to bring in cash.

By Justin Rowlatt
Chief environment correspondent

Source BBC