About the webinar

CIHT are committed to decarbonising our transport system and this will be a key focus for us moving into and throughout 2022.

This 1-hour webinar focuses on how we as a sector can tackle the current climate crisis and take action moving towards more efficient modes of transport, such as rail, through hydrogen strategies, electrification and decarbonising freight.

Focusing on decarbonisation, CIHT want's its members to explore the innovation and technological change to deliver zero carbon initiatives across all modes; providing the opportunity to change the way we travel and move freight.

The government announced its Decarbonising Transport: A Better, Greener Britain in July 2021. Moving towards decarbonising transport is an important step for the UK as Transport is the largest source of carbon dioxide emissions, accounting for 34% in 2019, the majority of which was from road transport.

Therefore, shifting more people from road to rail becomes increasingly important for climate action. Rail is one of the most efficient modes of transport, moving high volumes of people into city centres and transporting people and freight over long distances.

Why attend?

• Join a range of speakers, peers and colleagues, from UK Government to the private sector, and find out what they are doing; boosting your knowledge and contributing to thought leadership around creating sustainable developments.
• Find out how the sector is dealing with this issue, allowing you to implement actionable insight to use in your role while helping shape the future of the transportation industry.
• Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with leading experts and get their questions answered during a panel Q&A.
• The opportunity to get your views heard on this subject through a range of workshops with both attendees and speakers, ultimately allowing you to influence the discourse in this area.

Speakers

Professor David Cebon, Director, University of Cambridge, Centre for Sustainable Road Freight

Presentation: Decarbonising road freight through an electric road system 

Synopsis: As a country, the UK has challenging targets to reach net zero, with emissions from road freight being a major contributing factor.

This talk will present an approach to electrification of UK logistics, using battery electric vehicles charged by a combination of overhead wires and static chargers. The aim is to provide a system that satisfies all logistics needs with the necessary flexibility: long-haul, regional, urban and last-mile; while having the lowest cost of ownership to vehicle operators; profitable business models for infrastructure providers and a high level of energy tax recovery for HM Treasury. The scheme involves an electric road system that would power HGVs, using overhead wires along the UK’s major road network. The dynamic charging technology would be supported by a network of static charging points in depots and truck stops. The components of the technology are known to work well in practice, with an active trial currently live in Germany.

The current feasibility study is investigating how a combination of electric road system and static chargers could work in the UK, in an integrated trial of logistics in the Doncaster area and along the M180 between Doncaster and Immingham Port. If rolled out across the county, such a system could reduce CO2 emissions from road freight to near zero. It is a solution that can be implemented quickly and at scale by 2040. 

Biography: David Cebon is professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Cambridge. His research covers the mechanical, civil, and materials aspects of road transport engineering. He is a Director of both the Centre for Sustainable Road Freight and Cambridge Vehicle Dynamics Consortium, as well as leading Cambridge University Engineering Department’s research theme 'Energy, Transport and Urban Infrastructure'. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering , the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Road Transport Engineers and the Society of Operations Engineers.

Graham MacGruer, Head of Freight Decarbonisation and Hydrogen, Department for Transport

Jeaur Rahman, Freight Grants Manager, Department for Transport

Presentation: Decarbonising Road Freight: An overview of DfT activity

Synopsis: This talk is aimed at road freight vehicle manufacturers and operators, as well as any other stakeholders with an interest in the decarbonisation of the road freight sector, including the shift from road to rail. 

The presentation will cover key road freight decarbonisation activities undertaken by the Department for Transport over the past year, as well as a forward look to our proposed next steps. It will also give an overview of DfT’s Freight Grants. Key points that will be covered include:

• Activity to date on the Zero Emission Road Freight Trials (ZERFT)
• Next steps for ZERFT and future years activities
• The recent consultation on phasing out the sale of new non-zero emission HGVs and next steps
• An insight into DfT’s Freight Grants

Biographies: Graham has been Head of the Freight Decarbonisation and Hydrogen Team within the Department for Transport for the past year, with his team leading on the ongoing Zero Emission Road Freight Trials, as well as the ongoing consultation on phasing out the sale of new non-zero emission HGVs. Prior to taking on this role, Graham worked on the delivery of smart ticketing programmes within the Department. 

Jeaur has been managing the Freight Grant team within the Department for Transport for the past 9 months, overseeing work on Mode Shift Revenue Support for rail and inland waterways and Waterborne Freight Grant for coastal and short sea shipping.  Prior to taking up this role, Jeaur worked in Passenger Services in Rail Group and Rail Fares & Ticketing Reform team within the Department for the past several years.