Alternative fuels are key to carbon emissions

An Institution of Mechanical Engineers product story

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Dec 13, 2007

Transport expert calls for immediate funding into alternative fuels including a multi-million-dollar investment into hydrogen research.

Transport expert Professor Rod Smith is calling for the UK Government to invest at least GBP 10 billion into alternative fuels to cut carbon emissions by 2035.

"If the Government spent GBP 10 billion - only a third of what they spent on Northern Rock - we could build a high speed railway from London to Birmingham, reducing the need for domestic flights and long-distance car travel", said Prof Smith.

Speaking at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) in London he will urge for immediate funding into alternative fuels including a multi-million-dollar investment into hydrogen research - allowing it to become as readily available as petrol in 25 years.

Prof Smith is the guest speaker at the Thomas Hawksley Memorial Lecture.

He believes hydrogen is one of the best fuel alternatives for the future, but said a significant Government investment is needed now to overcome technical and cost difficulties in sourcing, storing and transporting hydrogen.

Prof Smith is among a growing number of transport experts that believe the UK will fail to meet even its first carbon reduction target1 let alone a 60% reduction by 2050.

In his Energy for Transport paper he says transport emissions (accountable for about 33%2 of the UK's total greenhouse gases) are largely to blame for this and carbon emissions will not fall significantly unless immediate steps are taken.

Transport demand is expected to grow even higher than predicted in the King Review of 1% a year because of rising population estimates, and current low carbon technology is not advancing fast enough in response, says Prof Smith, IMechE Fellow.

His paper says transport emissions are one of the biggest contributors to the UK's total greenhouse gasses, accounting for about 33% - road transport makes up 93% of this.

UK transport growth is likely to exceed 1% year as predicted in the King Review, but low carbon technology is not advancing fast enough.

If the UK economy grows at 3% a year, then by 2030 we will need as much resources as we have already consumed in the history of civilisation.

Hydrogen is the best fuel alternative for transport, but a hydrogen-based economy is 25 years away and significant spending is needed.

Further research is also needed on biodiesel and low carbon electricity.

He added: "The overall message is fairly grim unless we do something radical".

"We need fewer, shorter reports and more action from the Government".

As well as further research on hydrogen, Prof Smith said significant spending would be needed on hydrogen re-fuelling depots and infrastructure, but he believes it is achievable.

In the short-term he advocates the electrification of rail and high speed train services to reduce domestic air travel and long car trips, as well as reducing carbon emissions from cars and investing in more noncarbon power supplies.