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Hydrogen trucks: An opportunity for the decarbonisation of heavy vehicles by Alan Nolan, Hydrogen Mobility Ireland Hydrogen Mobility Ireland (HMI) is a Not-for Profit organisation with members across the Power Generation, Fuel, Gas, Vehicle and Transport Sectors that is focused on the roll-out of Hydrogen as a viable Zero-emissions Transport fuel, particularly for the Heavy Vehicle Sector. HMI has been actively engaged in direct consultations with significant operators in the Transport Sector through its Vehicle End-user Group, giving us input into the potential needs of Transport Operators on the ground and seeking their views on Hydrogen as an option for the sector. Emissions from Transport are the second largest after Agriculture, and the second largest energy related emissions after industry. But that shouldn’t be surprising – Transport includes leisure driving, but also commuting to work in each of the other sectors as well as deliveries and collections for them. While these emissions fall under the Transport Sector, there are other factors: n Transport emissions result directly from the level of activity in other sectors - in 2017, the greatest share of freight activity was carriage of foodstuffs (25%). n Responsibility for reducing Freight Transport emissions at least partly rests with enterprises for which Transport is provided. n Transport users may need to be incentivised to demand Zero emissions logistics and see a downside to not making that transition. At present cheaper options may be more rewarding. The challenge for the State is to support a transition in Transport that delivers for the Environment yet ensures a vibrant commercial economy into the FLEETTRANSPORT | SEPT-OCT 21
future. Freight Transport in Ireland is amongst the most road-based in Europe. Only 0.9% of freight is carried by rail. As of the end of 2019, 99.7% of goods vehicles were diesel powered. Ireland has set ambitious emissions targets to achieve an average 7% annual reduction in greenhouse gas emissions over the years 2021-2030, a projected reduction of 51% over the decade. It’s hard to see how a reduction of that scale can be achieved in Heavy Transport without good progress in the roll-out of Zero Emission vehicles early and over the period up to 2030. For the heavier high mileage vehicles that means Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles (HFCEV). With a target of having 1 million BEVs by 2030, Ireland had only 8,500 BEV cars on the road at the end of 2019 and around 17,000 up to the end of May 2021. In a fleet of 2.2 m cars those BEVs give an annual saving of around 30,000 Tonnes of CO2. One could estimate a similar level of saving from about 350 high mileage HGVs and Coaches, a sector in which we have made no progress yet, but Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles can deliver a significant part of the required 51% saving before 2030. If we are to seriously reduce emissions from the highest polluting vehicles on the road then we need to have a specific strategy for heavy duty vehicles that travel long distances. Furthermore, it needs us to start now if we are to get anywhere close to meeting those targets. That’s the space where HMI is working: Members in Energy Production, Distribution, Vehicles and Transport have brought a particular focus on HGVs as part of Project HMI. It has developed a Roadmap required to deliver a Hydrogen Fuel Cell solution for Ireland focused on Renewable Energy, but more of that later. There are many opinions about whether HFCEVs or BEVs provide the better solution. In our view they are com-
plimentary, supporting solutions rather than competing ones - we need both. And while we take the view that distance travelled is not the only benchmark, it is a good place to start. The Independent Energy Agency and Transport & Environment believe that daily distances driven are the likely deciding factor and by 2050 they see two-thirds EV and one-third HFCEV, with Fuel Cell vehicles dominating on the longer journeys. Their current projections based on cost etc. suggest that FCEVs take over at around 480 kms a day. Much of the data on HGVs shows average mileage isn’t enough to calculate potential take-up or emissions savings. The Central Statistics Office shows an annual average of 22,407 kms for combined Heavy and Light Goods vehicles. Mileage recorded at Roadworthiness Test intervals gives more detail, indicating an average of over 48,000 km for 2-Axle HGVs and over 73,000 km for 3-Axle HGVs. Among vehicles that have recorded over 100,000 kms per year are around 5,000 HGVs, 700 LGVs and 700 Buses/ Coaches. But of course there are many more vehicles below that annual mileage that are regularly required to travel more than 480 kms in a day, that’s roughly Dublin-Cork return. HMI established an end-user Group of Vehicle Operators to consult about sustainable solutions, and to make decisions on which zero-emitting vehicles are most suited to their needs. The Group includes significant Freight Operators covering National and International routes, as well as Bus/Coach and Taxi Groups including representatives from their National Representative Bodies.
