John Challen was in conversation with Krishna Priya Sivaprasad, Assistant Project Manager at Colas Ltd.

Construction plant and machinery are major contributors to Scope 1 emissions (directly from the company) due to their reliance on fossil fuels. By replacing this equipment with electric or zero emission alternatives, we can significantly reduce direct carbon output.

ADEPT Live Labs 2: Decarbonising Local Roads in the UK is a three-year, UK-wide £30 million programme funded by the Department for Transport that aims to decarbonise the local highways network. Colas plays a key role in the Liverpool Live Labs project, supporting overall project delivery alongside Liverpool City Council and providing technical support to project stakeholders.

A key role for Colas is to gather an operational perspective from the use of zero emission vehicles and equipment from the different contractors active in the city. If these solutions are not liked by the workforce or practical, due to charging characteristics, for example, they may be not suitable. But, where they are liked by contractors, save money and carbon, these are suitable solutions to roll out across the whole contractor community and, potentially, mandate their use.

Clear air and benefits

The Liverpool Live Labs 2 trials have demonstrated the clear benefits of replacing diesel-powered plant with electric or low-carbon alternatives. For example, one of Colas’ Live Labs partners in the project, Huyton Asphalt, trialled use of the Instagrid GO portable battery in place of traditional diesel generators.

This eliminated tailpipe emissions at the point of use, while also reducing noise pollution. When compared to a typical 5kVA diesel generator, it was found that the Instagrid unit can reduce CO2 emissions by more than 25.9 kgCO2e a day. If replacing one generator can reduce emissions so effectively, there is a lot of potential when this approach is applied at scale, which is exactly the aim with Liverpool Live Labs.

Within the trial, Huyton Asphalt Civils has also reported that use of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) has been a practical and effective short-term decarbonisation measure. HVO can be used as a direct replacement for diesel without any engine modifications, making it easy to adopt across existing fleets and equipment. Operationally, there has been no reported impact on performance, while emissions of CO2, particulates and NOx have been reduced.

In other parts of the country, Colas’ Live Labs partners in Aberdeen are actively working on baselining their depot emissions. Aberdeen and other partner cities are taking on a ‘follower’ role within the project, closely observing the outcomes of the Liverpool trials. The principle behind the Live Labs model is that if a solution proves effective in Liverpool, it is likely to be transferable to other urban environments. This collaborative approach supports the broader ambition of scaling successful innovations and embedding them into business-as-usual practices across the sector.

As part of this process, baseline emissions are being actively measured in follower cities such as Aberdeen to inform future planning and decision making. The shared goal is to reduce fuel consumption, electrify vehicle and equipment fleets and improve overall energy efficiency – contributing to the wider journey towards net zero.

Learn more about the Liverpool Live Labs 2 approach in a new webinar hosted by CIHT North West on 16 July.

Image: electric construction machines concept. Image: Shutter-stock.