Hydrogen: a sustainable alternative for land transport
Oct 11, 2022
Innovative
Covid-19 has certainly changed the consumption habits of Spanish society. The Annual Study of eCommerce in Spain 2020, presented by IAB, certifies that more than 20 million Spaniards between the ages of 16 and 70 years old, make regular online purchases.
This increase in e-commerce contributes to a considerable increase in last mile deliveries, i.e. those that deliver the order to the end customer.
According to a report presented earlier this year by McKinsey & Company, the World Economic Forum and the World Business Council for Sustainability Development (WBCSD), last mile deliveries in urban areas will increase by more than 30% by 2030 in the world’s top 100 cities
With this forecast, if the authorities do not act, CO2 emissions would reach 25 million tonnes a year by 2030. In addition to the increase in carbon emissions, traffic congestion will increase by more than 21%, which is equivalent to adding 11 minutes to each passenger’s daily journey.
The delivery of goods sold over the Internet presents a logistical challenge for businesses and a real environmental challenge for authorities, who are forced to regulate last mile deliveries within urban areas.
Cities must find a balance between increased travel and the need to maintain appropriate levels of environmental quality
In this situation, the recommendations are mainly based on more environmentally friendly delivery vehicles, using new 100% clean energy solutions, such as renewable gases – green hydrogen, biogas/biomethane. These are 100% clean energies and by using them, we contribute both to the reduction of emissions and to the circular economy, through the use of waste.
In addition to renewable gases, using natural gas in vehicles, either in its CNG or LNG mode, currently presents major environmental advantages. It both reduces CO2 emissions by 20 to 25%, and eliminates 100% of the most polluting particles (PM), 90% of nitrogen oxide (NOx) and carbon monoxide, and 100% of sulphur oxides (SOx). A solution that already encourages progress towards decarbonisation and improved air quality.
There is no question that sustainability plays a fundamental role in establishing regulation in this area, because cities must find a balance between increased travel and the need to maintain appropriate levels of environmental quality.