New Regulations for Smart Charge Points

New legislation is being introduced to regulate UK smart charge points and cables for electric cars. This comes after the growing popularity of private electric car ownership, replacing diesel and petrol car models faster than previously anticipated.

The UK Government will oversee the implementation of new legislation designed to regulate / encourage how and when EV energy consumers use smart EV charging points at home and at work.

The increase in private ownership of electric cars has been precipitated by the Paris Agreement after COP 21. Expedited in 2022 after COP 26, where net-zero emission targets were locked into be reached by 2050. And with grants available for the adoption of electric vehicles over petrol or diesel vehicles, more people than ever before are choosing to make the switch.

As a direct result of these factors, new legislation has been drafted for enforcement in June 2022 to ensure that the national grid can keep up with the soaring demand for electricity from the surge in electric vehicle ownership.

The new legislation aims to introduce regulation that provides a more flexible and streamlined range of energy systems across the nation. These regulations are for private charge points that are sold for use in workplace or home environments.

However, the new regulations do not cover chargers sold in Nothern Ireland, chargers sold before June 30th 2022, chargers that are intended for use elsewhere outside Great Britain, or chargers intended for use as public charging points.

It is the intention that by implementing these changes for private charging points, that the national grid will be able to supply appropriate amounts of electricity to those who need it. It is also the intention of this legislation to ensure the national grid remains stable.

The regulations that are being introduced are designed to standarize device-level requirements of new smart charging points and cables sold after enforcement of the legislation has begun.

The purpose of smart functionality of charging points is to encourage charging when there’s less demand on the national grid or when more renewable energy is available.

For users of electric vehicles, this means that new smart charging equipment purchased after the enforcement date will incorporate randomised delay function and pre-set, off peak charging hours by default. All this will be pre-programmed into the smart chargers themselves during the manufacturing process.

Default pre-set, off peak charging times can be removed and or changed during or after initial setup to suit your schedule.

The randomised delay function is designed to regulate how many EVs are charging from the national grid at any one given time. This is to prevent too many people charging their electric vehicles at the same time and putting stress on the national grid during peak times.

These regulations will be rolled out and enforced across the nation on 30th June 2022. Many companies that deal in electric car parts and accessories are already prepared for these changes with compliant charger models.

SMARTCHARGING.COM

 

 

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BIOGENIC ASPHALT

National Highways becomes first to use Aggregate Industries’ new biogenic asphalt on A590 Cross-A-Moor scheme

 

 

The UK’s first commercially available biogenic asphalt has been contracted on a National Highways scheme in Ulverston, Cumbria, as the national road network body seeks to reduce carbon on its projects.

 

To date more than 1,170 tonnes of Aggregate Industries’ SuperLow-Carbon asphalt has already been used in the base and binder elements of the A590 project, which includes the construction of a new roundabout, as well as brand new link roads, to connect into the existing local road network.

 

Ensuring its road scheme demonstrates sustainable credentials to support National Highways’ plan to achieve net zero by 2030, SuperLow-Carbon was selected for both its innovative carbon-saving technology, as well as its speed of construction – a vital aspect to ensure minimal disruption to local traffic.

 

SuperLow uses Shell’s Low Carbon Bitumen in a unique formula that utilises improved production processes and alternative energy sources to lower its embodied carbon footprint. It includes a biogenic material that effectively locks CO2 within the asphalt rather than releasing it back into the atmosphere.

 

The low-carbon product is a warm-mix asphalt, which means it requires lower energy to produce than its hot-mix equivalent without compromising on performance, whilst also reducing nuisance fuming, odour and steam providing better working conditions for operatives.

 

In addition, lower asphalt temperatures during production reduces binder ageing, while the product remains highly compactable for longer – allowing more time for full compaction, delivering enhanced performance and durability, and ultimately life-expectancy. It also reaches trafficking temperatures much quicker than hot mix products, allowing for earlier reopening of carriageways to the travelling public, resulting in less disruption and reduced build costs.

 

Neil Leake, National Technical Manager at Aggregate Industries, said: “We were delighted that National Highways selected SuperLow-Carbon for its A590 Cross-A-Moor project – marking the first installation of this product since it launched earlier this year.

“National Highways has a clear agenda to reduce carbon on all its schemes, and Aggregate Industries consistently provides new low-carbon solutions, enabling us to reduce carbon for our clients and the industry. SuperLow really is the next generation of asphalt and sustainable paving products, and we can’t wait to see it contracted on many more projects in the future.”

 

Stephan Mason at National Highways adds: “Having worked with Aggregate Industries on several projects in the past, we know they are always able to deliver on innovative, sustainable products and unrivalled customer service. This project in Ulverston is in a stunning, green part of the country, and thus a low-carbon asphalt solution was obvious for the scheme.

“SuperLow-Carbon demonstrates great innovation, with a low-carbon binder successfully delivering a CO2 reduction in the base elements of the scheme. We look forward to working with Aggregate Industries again in the future, as they continue to lead the way in sustainable applications and supporting National Highways as it accelerates towards its net zero target.”

 

For more information on SuperLow-Carbon and on Aggregate Industries, visit www.aggregate.com/superlowcarbon.

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£31m to Encourage Green Innovation

The government is investing £31 million to cut industry’s reliance on fossil fuels and make energy bills cheaper.

Up to £6.6 million of this funding will go directly into research to find alternatives to diesel, investigating the feasible use of green hydrogen and other e-fuels in transport or machinery.

More than £5.5 million will be devoted to generating fuels from biomass and waste products, as well as designing heat pumps to be used in manufacturing sites, weaning the UK off natural gas – a key reason for sky-high energy prices.

Carbon capture technology will receive £12 million funding, with the remaining investment spread around other low carbon technologies.

British Steel in Scunthorpe, Punch Flybrid in Silverstone and Ingenza in Edinburgh are three of the projects set to receive funding.

Energy Minister Greg Hands said: “As we accelerate the UK’s energy independence by boosting clean, home-grown, affordable energy, it’s crucial that our industries reduce their reliance on fossil fuels.

“This investment will help them to not only cut emissions but also save money on energy bills, on top of supporting jobs by encouraging green innovation across the UK.”

Source: Energy Live

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Atlas Copco Portable Air accelerates sustainability transformation

Part of a wider Atlas Copco Group sustainability plan, committing to ambitious carbon reduction targets will allow the company to do business ‘within planetary boundaries’

 

As a market leader in mobile air compressors, Atlas Copco’s Portable Air division knows exactly what it needs to do to play its part in meeting global climate change objectives. The company, as part of a wider Atlas Copco Group initiative, is committed to ‘doing business within planetary boundaries. With that in mind it has set itself a range of ambitious emissions reduction targets that are grounded in climate science through the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi).

Funded by the IKEA Foundation, Amazon, the Bezos Earth Fund, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the UPS Foundation, and many major businesses such as BMW, Nike, Daimler, and SNCF, the SBTi gives companies a clearly defined path to reduce CO2 emissions in what it calls ‘a race to the top’ in zero-carbon transition. The organization also checks that a company’s targets are in line with what the science demands regarding greenhouse gas emissions.

Whole value chain reductions

Science-based targets differ from other goals because they are absolute reduction targets; they are not related to cost of sales but targets across a company’s entire value chain. It includes emissions from energy consumed on direct operations, such as manufacturing, vehicles, and offices, emissions generated when producing materials or components used in products, and emissions from the use of those products.

Having its emissions targets monitored by an internationally recognized organization gives Atlas Copco’s a competitive edge by increasing credibility in the eyes of the customer and ensuring total transparency. More importantly, however, the targets inspire innovation and encourage positive change.

Team effort

The company now has an approved science-based target to reduce the emissions from its direct operations by 46% by 2030, compared to 2019 levels. Everyone in the company has a role to play in this. For example, by how they get to work, what products are developed, and what kind of energy is used in the factories. The plan by Atlas Copco’s Portable Air Division is to be carbon neutral in all its operations through green power in factories, optimized processes through digital technology, energy reduction, the use of fossil-free fuel, and a CO2 neutral car fleet.

While it is essential to tackle emissions from direct operations, a year-long research project from Atlas Copco’s Portable Air Division found that a bigger opportunity to make a positive environmental impact relates to how customers use its solutions. The company found that a majority of emissions comes from the lifetime use of products. That is why Atlas Copco has the target to reduce the carbon impact of its products-in-use by 28% by 2030 (compared to 2019 levels.) One route the company is adopting is driving the shift to carbon-free solutions, such as its all-electric E-Air compressor range.

Necessity is the mother of invention

By embracing innovation to provide the most efficient and sustainable solutions available, Atlas Copco’s Portable Air division intends to give customers the tools required to meet demanding applications while also helping them achieve their sustainability targets. In terms of equipment, some compressors will eliminate the need for using fossil fuels and consign exhaust gases to history, such as mobile electric compressors. Variable speed drive (VSD) compressors meanwhile, can be driven by battery or fuel cells, while their motor’s operating speed self-adjusts (or even shut down) to precisely match the user’s need for compressed air.

For larger projects, mobile compressors are likely to run on hydrogen; or on synthetic fuels made from converting unwanted gases, waste, and by-products.

By developing advanced equipment and revolutionizing its direct operations against closely monitored science-based targets, Atlas Copco’s Portable Air division is accelerating its drive towards sustainability.

CLICK HERE FOR THE ATLAS COPCO UK WEBSITE

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THE BUBBLE BRICK

Michelmersh has announced its successful bid to the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) UK Government, Industrial Fuel Switching competition to conduct a feasibility study to replace natural gas with hydrogen in the brick making process. The programme is part of the £1 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP) which aims to provide funding for low-carbon technologies to decreasing the costs of decarbonisation.

The project represents a global flagship physical study to replace natural gas with hydrogen in brick manufacturing. Phase 1 of the project will demonstrate the viability of fuel switching and will see hydrogen used in the clay brick production process at Michelmersh’s Freshfield Lane site. The project aims to inspire radical change across the sector and present opportunities and evidence-based research to support manufacturers on their journey to heavily decarbonise the production processes.

As the organisation leading the BEIS ‘Deep Decarbonisation of Brick Manufacturing’ project, Michelmersh has gone a step further to promote and disseminate the progression and learning of the project through a dedicated brand; HyBrickTM. Working alongside a panel of expert partners, and after an introduction by Hydrogen Sussex, the consortium includes Limpsfield Combustion, Net Zero Associates, the University of Brighton, Greater South East Net Zero Hub, FT Pipelines, Geopura, and Safety Monitors.

Green electrolytic hydrogen will be used for this innovative study, helping to demonstrate how this technology can transform the brick manufacturing industry. All the consortium partners are thrilled to facilitate and promote the production of the world’s first 100% hydrogen-fired clay bricks, enabling a movement towards hydrogen and providing a pathway to the net-zero future that our country is aspiring towards.

This first HyBrickTM study will explore testing of specific infrastructure components to prove hydrogen firing capability and determine any impact on overall quality, brick integrity or aesthetics. Data will be collected and analysed to ascertain any effect to process temperatures or stability. The bricks will then be compared against control bricks (produced using 100% natural gas) to ensure they meet all technical, aesthetic and characteristic requirements, with independent laboratory testing to determine their durability and structural performance. Of paramount importance and conducted throughout the project are dedicated health and safety risk analyses, assessments and training, alongside air quality performance testing.

Associated work looking at hydrogen production solutions aims to provide opportunities for Michelmersh with resilient, clean on-site hydrogen, which could help the Michelmersh Group pave the way to a more sustainable future for the broader ceramics industry.

Sarah Le Gresley, Michelmersh’s Innovation Director, Sustainability Group Chair and Application Lead is excited to begin the world’s first trials. Sarah is incredibly passionate about demonstrating that, as well as clay brick having zero operational carbon, this also presents the opportunity to significantly reduce clay brick’s embodied carbon by over 60%. Sarah recently coined the expression ‘Shaping Genuine Sustainability’ for the Group to highlight its focus on investing in genuine carbon reduction projects over funding carbon offsets.

Sarah is working together with Michael Brophy, Group Production Director, who is also eager to demonstrate the Group’s progressive approach to sustainability. Michael is enthusiastic to push the boundaries and explore the engineering, production capabilities and requirements that will take sustainable UK manufacturing to the next level. With Michelmersh focused on leading the sector by testing and exploring efficient new technologies and production methods, including but not limited to fuel switching, it will endeavour to showcase how natural, locally made construction products can provide significant reductions to the whole life carbon of durable materials available to specifiers.

Feasibility studies began in spring, and we will see the production of the world’s most sustainable clay bricks, and the first to be produced with 100% hydrogen. To celebrate Michelmersh’s achievement and to encourage its customers to stand in unity with it on this journey to positive change, the Group will be presenting a select quantity of the HyBrickTM products to its most engaged customers and stakeholders.

Frank Hanna, Joint CEO of Michelmersh, explains: “The Group is proud to stand at the forefront of such evolution for our industry. While we have seen energy costs rise due to environmental and political factors, this incredible application of technology and innovation allows the Group to reduce its costs considerably, improve its resilience and welcome new products that take sustainability to a whole new level. While we look forward to the challenges ahead of us, we are optimistic about the change we can inspire within the manufacturing sector. With decades of experience producing high-quality products and with the aid of our industry-leading partners, the Group is well suited to lead the UK with this flagship global first.

“The Group has set ambitious 2030 Sustainability KPIs which include 100% of our electricity provided by green suppliers and renewable sources from October 2022, with other onsite renewable energy sources already on the ground at Michelmersh sites. The team understands the impact this project could have if successful, however, it also recognises there is a long journey ahead before hydrogen is fully tested throughout the multiple different production processes or is financially viable to expand to all our sites. Our Sustainability Group sees this project as just one string to its bow, while also undertaking a variety of research and feasibility projects to determine the most carbon-efficient and commercially sensible solutions to complete its ambitious sustainability roadmap.”

 

Register your interest in receiving a sample product from the innovative HyBrickTM study here:

HyBrick

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