Preliminary report on energy efficiency and carbon intensity based on investigation across modes and domains

Abstract

This report is a deliverable of USE-iT (Users, Safety, Security and Energy in Transport Infrastructure); a Horizon 2020 Coordination and Support Action (CSA) project managed by the Forum of European Highway Research Laboratories (FEHRL). The aim of USE-iT is to better understand the common challenges facing transport modes and in conjunction with stakeholders to produce a multi-modal research roadmap to develop technologies and approaches to addressing these challenges. In addition to a work package on management (WP1) and a work package on dissemination activities (WP5), USE-iT is divided into three technical Work Packages addressing important challenges facing all modes; providing better customer information (WP2); improving safety and safety (WP3) and reducing carbon emissions and energy consumption (WP4). This report relates to Work Package 4; reducing the carbon emissions and energy consumption associated with the transport sector. Transport is one of the largest contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), and user of energy – mainly fossil fuels. Following the European Commission’s Transport White Paper [2], the EU transport sector needs to reduce its emissions by 60% by 2050 compared to 1990s levels, which represents a significant challenge for all modes. Over the past decade a multitude of different innovations have been developed which are designed to reduce carbon, however the difficulty for the industry is to identify which ones have the most potential to both reduce carbon and maintain/improve other vital characteristics such as safety, durability, affordability etc. In WP4 a significant number of technologies were identified which could help reduce energy and carbon.