It’s high time UK government picked a winner to kick haulage’s emissions habit...
Jake Martin
Petrofac Energy Transition | Hydrogen Subject Matter Expert | Shortlisted Future Leader #HUK | Global Hydrogen Business Development Leader | #Hydrogen
I am passionate about providing a solution to changing the world in which we live.
I am passionate about challenging the way we go about our daily life; how we can impact and support stewardship in the world in which we live.
I am passionate about being an advocate for change, and one of these areas is by decarbonising transport and mobility in our day to day life. This is a little insight into my thoughts about the challenges that face us in said transition.
It’s high time UK government picked a winner to kick haulage’s emissions habit...
HGVs have been hitting the headlines since the pandemic largely due to huge driver shortages amid a realisation of how much we actually rely on #haulage to keep the country running. First of all, a huge thanks to everyone in the logistics world – it hasn’t not gone unnoticed. More recently, this conversation has evolved to the fossil fuel dependence of HGVs and how this continues to be a major stumbling block.
HGV demand is set to skyrocket over the next few years, with the global market projected to rise to $317 billion by 2026[1] - but we can’t just keep on going as we have been.
That makes tackling HGVs the closest thing we have to a silver bullet for cutting #transport emissions – and fast. The technology is there to do it, now we need policymakers to do their bit to speed up adoption.?
This week marks the UK’s Decarbonising Transport Week, a brilliant opportunity to talk about solutions. When it comes to HGVs, one sure-fire way to do this would be to choose a winner and spell out the industry’s future ‘fuel of choice’.
Whilst HGVs make up a relatively small amount of road vehicles worldwide, they account for over a quarter of all road transport emissions[2].
Policy and planning represents a clear opportunity to turn the tide on this issue. Case and point - just last week the UK Parliament s transport committee urged the UK government to publish a long-term decarbonisation strategy for HGVs. It is obviously very much needed, and long overdue. It’s about time we had something tangible when it comes to strategy rather than a lacklustre attempt at it.
This signal from the top would be a game changer for helping to unlock market confidence and the required investment in infrastructure.?More to the point, by publishing a clear Hydrogen in Transport strategy, the UK government could leverage homegrown IP, expertise and seize the opportunities for the UK at this critical juncture for becoming a global leader in hydrogen mobility.
The UK government has already shown leadership by being one of the first to pledge a total phase out the sale of new diesel and petrol HGVs altogether by 2040 – a clear signal that the end of fossil fuel-powered HGVs is in sight. In addition, the UK will commit to phasing out new, non-zero-emission HGVs weighing 26 tonnes and under, by 2035.
Ben Houchen is a great sponsor of Hydrogen, and seems to be leading the charge in the North East in Teesside, I can't help but think that more people in parliament should be supporting Hydrogen as part of the energy transition.
If you would have asked me 5 years ago, I would firmly put pressure on the tier 1 vehicle manufacturers to give us something to fill, but they have clearly responded. We now have the vehicles that require filling and some fantastic advocates here in the UK and the world, look at the great work Tevva Hydrogen Electric Trucks is doing in the industry & HVS (Hydrogen Vehicle Systems) ; path makers in the industry!
Tevva Hydrogen Electric Trucks are 7.5-tonne and comfortably meet (and exceeds) demanding duty cycles for nearly all urban and extra-urban use cases. Tevva’s innovation means that its customers can drive for longer with a range of up to 310 miles (or 500 kilometres) and will have reassurance thanks to the technology’s reliability and safety. [3]
I had the pleasure of presenting at the Climate Change Solutions alongside Harsh Pershad at Tevva Hydrogen Electric Trucks & Ben Todd from Ballard Motive Solutions , its clear we now have the tools to enable this transition in the haulage sector, but a fundamental issue is how they are refuelled?
Now is the time for the UK government to go one step further and commit to a deliver timeline of a network of hydrogen refuelling stations in the UK which will be critical to unlocking hydrogen powered, zero emissions HGVs.
Rishi Sunak , any thoughts on this? Empowering end users to utilise this form of Hydrogen is crucial, you've done it with the electric car scheme where we see more and more BEV's on the road, surely you can apply a similar methodology?
领英推荐
Lets look at funding across other leading countries in Europe for the minute....
Lets compare that to the UK government funding for us in back in Blighty.
How are other countries making it happen - lets take a look
Countries such as Australia and New Zealand are already leading the way, providing a roadmap for the rollout of hydrogen refuelling infrastructure at scale, particularly for HGVs. This in turn will provide useful lessons and opportunities for the UK. At Haskel, we’ve seen international demand for hydrogen refuelling stations grow rapidly in recent years. From our R&D site in Sunderland, we at Haskel have scaled capacity to meet this growing appetite, doubling the number of stations being tested on site in 2022. Overall, the plan is to increase output to more than 30 stations per year by 2024 as we ramp up production to meet increasing demand.?
In New Zealand we’ve partnered with Hiringa Energy , the first company in the country dedicated to the supply of green hydrogen. Together, we plan to rapidly scale the deployment of large-scale hydrogen refuelling stations for HGVs.?The first phase of the development includes four refuelling stations in the North Island, providing coverage for the major freight routes. This year the second phase will see routes expanded to the South Island. Over the next 4-5 years this could result in as many as 24 Hiringa high-capacity refuelling stations across New Zealand, helping to cement the country as a world leader for hydrogen innovation.
In terms of expertise, equipment and expense, there’s no reason why the UK can’t equally raise the bar for the deployment of #hydrogen refuelling infrastructure, and help to lead the way in driving innovation. However, a clearer government roadmap is critical to unlocking this potential.
In the UK, we are leaders when it comes to offering refuelling infrastructure and I am grateful for all the trailblazers & associations in the UK industry - we're in this together.
Haskel , 英格索兰 , Tevva Hydrogen Electric Trucks , ITM Power , JCB Hydrogen , Ryze Power , Fuel Cell Systems Ltd. , NanoSUN , Chesterfield Special Cylinders (CSC) , bp , Ballard Motive Solutions , Clean Power Hydrogen (CPH2) GeoPura , ULEMCo Ltd , Hydrogen Energy Association , Hydrogen Europe & Hydrogen UK .
All the above is IMHO with the supporting features referenced below.
[7] ￡102 million government backing for nuclear and hydrogen innovation in the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Retired Engineer
2 年Spot on Jake
Chairman | Non-Executive Director | Investor
2 年Well said Jake