Sustainable Freight
Ever changing, always providing opportunity - technology marches on, creating possibilities for transport to improve enviornmental outcomes while often reducing costs, and increasing competitiveness and profit.
While transport companies can utilise many general technological advances to their benefit (such as lighting and light globe technologies) there are a large number of transport specific technologies out there too - from small scale advances available to all to advances in large scale transport systems like container vessels and aircraft.
Emissions from the transport industry have grown over 25% since 1990 and in an attempt to limit emissions the Australian Federal Government has targeted to limit emissions by 80% on their 2000 levels by 2050. With the Transport industry accounting for 14% of national emissions, future emission reducing strategies will be of significant importance to the industry if it is to contribute its share to reducing national emissions.
The transport and logistics industry is growing. In 2012 the total estimated domestic freight task for Australia was 557.3 billion tonne kilometres (Bureau of Transport and Regional Economics (2006), Table ES1, pg xxiv). It is forecast to reach 682.63 billion tkm by 2020 (Bureau of Transport and Regional Economics (2006), Table ES1, pg xxiv). It therefore is unlikely that continual technological advances to internal combustion engines will allow oppurtunity for the industry to reduce its emissions enough by 2050.
This highlights the importance of development and implementation of new and emerging technologies as they become available. Currently there are a wide range of concepts that are touted as effective strategies to reducing Australia’s transport emissions. Many of these concepts have been rolled-out on a trial basis or are currently in their infancy but have yet to reach significant scale across the industry. Any emerging technology has to demonstrate its improved efficiency over current standard practises but also be priced so that it also offers a greater competitive advantage over previous technology.
Due to the above factors and others increasing energy efficiency and lowering emissions takes time throughout an industry as large as the transport and logistics industry. It is estimated from concept to full fleet roll-out generally takes 15 years for road transportation vehicles, but is even greater for shipping and rail fleets Green, D and Schafer, A (2003). The importance of acting early is crucial if Australia is successful in achieving its emission reduction targets by 2050.
Despite the estimated growth of the transport sector it is likely that emission savings can be implemented on a wide scale. A recent report from the Australian Low Carbon Transport Forum based on input from transport experts found 47 individual emission abatement options for the transport industry Graham, P., Gargett, D., Evans, C., Cosgrove, D., Ritzinger, A. 2012. The options with the greatest abatement potential are the technologies that look to reduce the emission intensity of transport fuels and improve an engines efficiency of converting fuel energy to work.
On that note this chapter will look to discuss the advancement of certain technologies the advantages and disadvantages currently associated with and where it is likely to fit into the future freight industry.
Here you will find an overview of many of these technologies, as well as links to further information.
Technology Fact Sheets
Alternative Fuels
Despite the significant efficiency gains diesel engines have made in the past few decades alternative fuels to diesel that lower emissions and/or have higher energy densities are being researched and produced in the aim to further reduce emissions. The below fact sheets cover some of these developing alternative fuels.
Biofuels
Biofuels are regularly proclaimed as a way forward for the ‘greening’ of transport services. They have gained particular distinction within the EU and the US. The current generation of biofuels do produce significant carbon emissions when burned as a fuel but these emissions are considered as part of the "short term carbon cycle".
Euro Truck Standards
Diesel itself is a very efficient fuel and at the moment only carbon free or climate neutral produced fuels generate less greenhouse gas emissions than diesel. Due to only diesel being currently available in enough substantial quantities to fuel the entire industry, diesel will continue to be the dominant industry fuel for the immediate future.
Next Generation Aircraft
Despite greater efficiency in aviation transport over the past two decades, aviation’s share of emissions has increased from 3-4 % in 1990 to around 8% of all transport emissions today. This indicates a rapidly growing aviation transport sector. While air freight transport represents only a small percentage of domestic freight movement within Australia, with an expanding import and export market reducing aviation’s emissions will be important if Australia is to meet its emission reduction standards by 2050.
Hybrid and Electric Advances
The report from the Australian Low Carbon Transport Forum "Greenhouse Gas Abatement Potential of the Australian Transport Sector" (CSIRO, 2012) found that the greatest abatement option for reducing emissions by the year 2050 is through the implementation of electric and (plug-in) hybrids. They estimate that with full roll out of electric vehicles for light transport purposes could reduce emissions by 36 MtCO2e in Australia alone
Shipping Advances
International shipping produces more emissions from energy use than all but five countries, producing 2.7% of global carbon emissions annually (EESI, 2012). Despite this huge percentage the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has estimated that shipping which emits around 870 metric tonnes per year of carbon dioxide will double or triple this figure by 2050 under business as usual conditions (IMO, 2009).
Route Optimisation Technologies
Route optimisation technology is producing huge energy savings throughout the road transport industry the world over. Where such technology is employed savings have been produced in distances travelled, with greater load consolidation and on-time performances regularly reported.
Nuclear Shipping
Discussion on the possibility of nuclear energy to power commercial ships are liable to knee-jerk reactions, especially in regards to safety. However the discussion on nuclear shipping has been ongoing for over the past 50 years, and in recent years nuclear shipping has been proposed as a ‘clean energy’ that can help the shipping industry lower the 870 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions it emits into the earth’s atmosphere every year
Nitrogen Tyre Filling
Rising fuel costs have brought greater attention to maintaining proper tyre pressure levels as a key to maximising fuel economy. In recent years the introduction of nitrogen tyre filling to the trucking industry is one that many operators have begun to get serious about. It may not be a new technology but for a trucking company any increase to fuel efficiency or reduced maintenance costs can produce big savings.
Lighting
Throughout the world lighting consumes a significant percentage of global electricity use. It is estimated that more than 2,200 terawatt hours of energy is used every year at a cost of between $190 and $250 million. This is approximately 17.5% of total global energy use. In Australia lighting can account for more than 60% of energy costs in a standard office.
For more information on Alternative Fuels:
The Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC) provides information, data, and tools to help fleets and other transportation decision makers find ways to reduce petroleum consumption through the use of alternative and renewable fuels, advanced vehicles, and other fuel-saving measures