The Energy Technologies Institute Publishes Heavy Duty Vehicle Programme Insights Ahead of Closure
25 November 2019
After 12 years of research into low carbon technologies innovation to help the UK reach its climate goals, the Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) will close at the end of December 2019.
Created in 2007 as a £400m UK public-private partnership, the ETI’s aim has been to act as a conduit between industry and academia to accelerate the development of low carbon technologies.
The data and findings from the ETI will continue to be available online through the programme pages and Knowledge Zone until 2025. A variety of the ETI’s research & capability developed can also be accessed through the Energy Systems Catapult, the Centre for Sustainable Roadfreight, the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative and others.
Throughout its 12 years of research, the ETI has provided evidence and insight to inform the UK’s energy strategy, including the UK’s Clean Growth Strategy and the Industrial Strategy Challenges. The ETI also published its updated Options, Choices, Actions report in 2018 exploring how the UK can achieve 2050 climate goals by transitioning its energy system to low carbon. This report and data are both available on the ETI website.
Ahead of its closure, the ETI has published three final insight reports, summarising its research into land based Heavy Duty Vehicles (HDVs). This is the last of the ETI’s programme areas to complete.
‘Heavy Duty Vehicle Decarbonisation – Overall Insights’ Insights Report
The HDV overall insights report sets out the summary findings from the ETI’s HDV land programme, including its HDV efficiency technology demonstration, its well-to-motion study and its energy systems analysis on HGV vectors.
The insight concludes that the EU’s 2025 HGV Greenhouse Gas reduction target is feasible and that, on balance, natural gas is a viable transitional solution for Greenhouse Gas reduction in the mid-term. However, for the UK to meet the ambitious net-zero targets in 2050, a new low carbon energy source is required for HGVs, perhaps full electric drivetrains or perhaps hydrogen
‘Land Based Heavy Duty Vehicle Efficiency at the ETI’ Insights Report
The ETI land HDV efficiency programme has modelled a range of technologies to achieve an average 18% energy efficiency across 7 land HDVs archetypes (both Off Highway and On Highway). This insight report details the data and findings from this programme, including the demonstration CAT AT725 demonstration vehicle which establishes the cost effective and practical viability of up to a 28% reduction in fuel consumption.
The results from this programme suggest that the 2025 EU HGV GHG reduction target is feasible, albeit challenging. It is hoped that the research will continue to influence the powertrain of off-highway equipment manufacturers like Caterpillar.
‘HGV Use in the UK insight’ Insights Report
This insight report details how the ETI has developed 36 statistically distinct vehicle archetypes to accurately assess HGV real world usage in the UK. The insight summarises analyses covering 12 of these archetypes, and indicates the requirement for further complex telematics being undertaken by HGV OEMs, who, in doing so, will be well placed to assess the effectiveness of new technologies in the real world.
Jonathan Wills Chief Executive Officer We’re really proud that our research has often been at the vanguard of the UK’s decarbonisation thinking for over a decade and has spanned a vast array of programmes including transport, energy storage and distribution, nuclear energy, renewables, CCS, bioenergy, smart systems and heat and more. We’d like to take the time to thank all of our staff and partners who have been part of the ETI journey.
I’m pleased that beyond the lifespan of the ETI, our work will continue to support the UK’s efforts to decarbonise with the majority of our data and publications available on our website until 2025.
Much of our research and the capability we’ve developed across the breadth of the UK energy system will now be taken forward by the Energy Systems Catapult and others.
Phil New CEO, Energy Systems Catapult The ETI has been at the forefront of research and expertise for our transition to a low carbon energy system.
In its 12 years of operation it has built a wealth of knowledge across the energy system. It has developed, demonstrated and scaled pioneering green technologies and provided strategic analysis and planning for large-scale emissions reduction across the economy.
Many of the ETI’s research projects and assets and many of the incredible people that worked on them are now part of the Catapult team. We are determined to take the legacy of the ETI forward here at Energy Systems Catapult and are grateful to the ETI team for their contribution to accelerating the development of low carbon technologies.