'Bigger roads are good for the environment' - study
A study by an independent Norwegian research organisation, the SINTEF Group, shows that, contrary to common perceptions, bigger roads are 'good for the environment'. The issue of expanding road infrastructures is a major point of debate in the EU's drive towards a sustainable and low-carbon economy. Biofuels for (personal) transport are set to play a major role in this transition. But according to green groups who take a broader point of view, other forms of mobility - most notably rail and mass transit - are cleaner, more efficient and have lower carbon footprints.
The report was commissioned by the EU Road Federation (ERF) following criticism from green civil society organisations who call for the Union to curb the growth in road transport in favour of more sustainable transport systems, notably by spending larger chunks of EU money on rail and public transport, which emit three times less carbon dioxide than cars. The exchange was based on the recently published "Sustainable Roads - Discussion Paper" [*.pdf].
Drawing on the results of the SINTEF research, bundled in a report titled "Environmental Consequences of Better Roads" [*.pdf], the ERF now writes in its follow-up paper titled "Better roads good for the environment":
"Cases where road authorities and municipalities have deliberately restrained capacity to jugulate demand have been found to be environmentally counterproductive," concludes the ERF.
But the debate is far from over. There clearly is a clash between perspectives, with the green organisations taking the long view, whereas the ERF seems to focus on the current situation that it thinks needs immediate improvement:
biomass :: bioenergy :: biofuels :: energy :: sustainability :: ethanol :: biodiesel :: transport :: mobility :: roads :: rail :: climate change :: EU ::
Magda Stoczkiewicz of the CEE Bankwatch Network said: "The EU should spend less on roads and more on alternatives to cars...Building road infrastructure inflates transport demand just as printing money creates inflation, and already the Czech Republic and Lithuania have more cars per person than rich Denmark."
The ten central and eastern European member states are planning to invest more than half of the €50 billion they will receive over the next seven years in EU aid for transport, under structural and cohesion funds, in new roads and motorways, while only 30% will be spent on railways and 10% on public transport.
Green NGO Friends of the Earth (FoEE) says that this will “generate more traffic and greenhouse emissions” and has urged the Commission to “take firm steps to prevent seven years and billions of euros being lost to energy-intensive development”.
But the ERF says that more money for roads is particularly needed in countries like Poland, where just 3% of roads are to Western standard, thereby resulting in higher emissions from car traffic and in a larger number of accidents on the roads.
More information:
SINTEF Technology and Society: Environmental consequences of better roads [*.pdf] March 30, 2007.
The European Union Road Federation (ERF): Better roads good for the environment [*.pdf] - April 10, 2007
The European Union Road Federation (ERF): Sustainable Roads - Discussion Paper [*.pdf]- (s.d.) April 2007
Friends of the Earth Europe and CEE Bankwatch Network: EU funding plans in clash with climate [*.pdf] April 11, 2007
Friends of the Earth Europe and CEE Bankwatch Network: "EU cash in climate clash" [*.pdf] (s.d.) April 2007
EurActiv: "Roads 'good for the environment', says study" - April 11, 2007.
Article continues
The report was commissioned by the EU Road Federation (ERF) following criticism from green civil society organisations who call for the Union to curb the growth in road transport in favour of more sustainable transport systems, notably by spending larger chunks of EU money on rail and public transport, which emit three times less carbon dioxide than cars. The exchange was based on the recently published "Sustainable Roads - Discussion Paper" [*.pdf].
Drawing on the results of the SINTEF research, bundled in a report titled "Environmental Consequences of Better Roads" [*.pdf], the ERF now writes in its follow-up paper titled "Better roads good for the environment":
"More investment in road infrastructure is needed to remove bottlenecks, avoid city centres and complete missing links which together cost billions every year in lost fuel and undoubtedly contribute to the transport sector’s environmental footprint."Using a traffic micro-simulation, SINTEF researchers showed, for example, that upgrading narrow, winding roads with modern ones or adding a lane to a congested motorway can yield decreases of up to 38% in CO2 emissions, 67% in CO emissions and 75% in NOx emissions, without generating substantially more car trips.
"Cases where road authorities and municipalities have deliberately restrained capacity to jugulate demand have been found to be environmentally counterproductive," concludes the ERF.
But the debate is far from over. There clearly is a clash between perspectives, with the green organisations taking the long view, whereas the ERF seems to focus on the current situation that it thinks needs immediate improvement:
biomass :: bioenergy :: biofuels :: energy :: sustainability :: ethanol :: biodiesel :: transport :: mobility :: roads :: rail :: climate change :: EU ::
Magda Stoczkiewicz of the CEE Bankwatch Network said: "The EU should spend less on roads and more on alternatives to cars...Building road infrastructure inflates transport demand just as printing money creates inflation, and already the Czech Republic and Lithuania have more cars per person than rich Denmark."
The ten central and eastern European member states are planning to invest more than half of the €50 billion they will receive over the next seven years in EU aid for transport, under structural and cohesion funds, in new roads and motorways, while only 30% will be spent on railways and 10% on public transport.
Green NGO Friends of the Earth (FoEE) says that this will “generate more traffic and greenhouse emissions” and has urged the Commission to “take firm steps to prevent seven years and billions of euros being lost to energy-intensive development”.
But the ERF says that more money for roads is particularly needed in countries like Poland, where just 3% of roads are to Western standard, thereby resulting in higher emissions from car traffic and in a larger number of accidents on the roads.
More information:
SINTEF Technology and Society: Environmental consequences of better roads [*.pdf] March 30, 2007.
The European Union Road Federation (ERF): Better roads good for the environment [*.pdf] - April 10, 2007
The European Union Road Federation (ERF): Sustainable Roads - Discussion Paper [*.pdf]- (s.d.) April 2007
Friends of the Earth Europe and CEE Bankwatch Network: EU funding plans in clash with climate [*.pdf] April 11, 2007
Friends of the Earth Europe and CEE Bankwatch Network: "EU cash in climate clash" [*.pdf] (s.d.) April 2007
EurActiv: "Roads 'good for the environment', says study" - April 11, 2007.
Article continues
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Acciona to build 15MW biomass power plant in Castilla y León
Madrid-based Acciona Energía, one of Europe's leading renewable energy companies, has announced [*Spanish] it is to build a 15MW biomass power plant that will produce electricity from agricultural residues. The company collaborates on the project with the Ente Regional de la Energía de Castilla y León (EREN).
The basic project data look as follows:
- a 15MW plant that will burn herbaceous biomass recovered from local waste streams
- the renewable energy generated will amount to 120 million kWh, equivalent to the energy consumption of 50,000 households in the Catilla y León region
- the project will see an investment of €40 million
- construction of the plant will begin in October this year; commercial exploitation will follow in the second semester of 2009
- Acciona Energía is the majority shareholder in the company that has been created for the project, with the EREN and other regional institutions and companies sharing the remainder
The plant is to be located in Briviesca, in Burgos. This is the first power plant in the region that utilises 100% biomass as its energy source. When operating at full capacity, the biomass plant will require some 100,000 tons of herbaceous biomass per year.Biomass supplies will be secured from the provinces of Burgos and Palencia, and in particular from the county of Bureba, where farmers will benefit from the added value of what is currently a waste stream. Acciona Energía is to sign large supply contracts directly with local farmers and cooperatives [entry ends here].
bioenergy :: biofuels :: energy :: sustainability :: renewable :: biomass :: residues :: Spain ::
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posted by Biopact team at 8:00 PM 0 comments links to this post