Strategies and Climate Impacts for Infrastructure Ramp up for the Defossilisation of Road Freight Transport

Authors

H. Helms, Dr.-Ing. K. Biemann, J. Jöhrens, B. Bruch, ifeu - Institut für Energie- und Umweltforschung, Heidelberg:

Year

2022

Print Info

Production/Publication ÖVK

Summary

While there is already a range of studies on life-cycle climate impacts of alternative truck technologies, the infrastructure for energy transfer, i.e. hydrogen refuelling stations, high power charging and overhead catenary lines, is usually omitted. This paper therefore aims to assess the potential demand for such infrastructure and to compare associated greenhouse gas emissions of the infrastructure installation and operation between the technologies. Finally, infrastructure climate impacts will also be compared to life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions of the vehicles and thus put into perspective.

The results show that infrastructure matters for the climate balance, but should not be overestimated as a factor in a developed market. Over the life-times of the components and under the assumption of a reasonable usage by a sizable vehicle fleet, the share on total impacts of the vehicle operation will be rather low. Roadside infrastructure for energy transfer should thus not be regarded as the key issue if it comes to the climate balance of new technologies. Generally, the largest part of overall greenhouse gas emissions will be related to the energy supply of the vehicles also in the mid-term future. Emissions can thus most effectively be reduced by bringing vehicles with an efficient drive train into the market as soon as possible. This will not only lead to a decreasing climate burden from infrastructure for each vehicle, but also to decreasing vehicle and infrastructure prices with the economies of scale.

ISBN

1920-2323-23-1

Number of pages

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