TRL to assess low emission HGV technologies

Transport consultancy TRL has been awarded a contract to study zero emission HGV technologies to feed into the government’s Road to Zero strategy.

The work, which has been commissioned by the Department for Transport (DfT), will aim to explore options for reducing carbon and air quality emissions from long-haul HGV movements by 2040.

TRL is to study the options for low emission HGVs

As many as 17.1 billion tonnes of cargo is thought to travel on Britain’s motorways and A roads per year, to emissions of air pollutants such as Nitrogen Oxides and particulates, as well as carbon oxides.

Through the project, TRL will identify and appraise the range of potential zero emission HGV technologies available and how these are likely to contribute to improvements in climate change and air pollution emissions.

Research

Alongside this, TRL will be undertaking a programme to identify recommended research and development activities, including full-scale demonstrators for the technologies.

The final project report will identify the activities required by external stakeholders. It is anticipated that the work will conclude by February 2019.

Gavin Bailey, technical and business development manager for TRL, said: “The study into zero emission HGV technologies will provide an essential first step toward a solution leading to a critical improvement in air quality as well as a significant movement towards the Government’s Road to Zero goals.

“Our review and appraisal of existing technologies will include battery and hydrogen fuel cells and extend to include innovative solutions such as dynamic (in-motion) road charging techniques. Overall, the assessment will be framed with regards to the value for money to all relevant stakeholders, including infrastructure operators, freight operators, UK government, and UK Plc.”

The government’s Road to Zero strategy, launched in the summer, sets out a series of policies aimed at driving the development of low emission transport (see airqualitynews.com story). This includes setting a ‘clear pathway’ to reducing emissions from HGVs.

Other projects undertaken by TRL include work to evaluate performance and impacts of low emission buses at 13 locations across the UK (see airqualitynews.com story).

TRL is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Transport Research Foundation (TRF), a non-profit distributing company.