Towards greener transportation

How should we power our modes of transportation in the future? A Nordic research project aims to find this out.

Greener on the other side? The Nordic region could become a testbed for sustainable transport solutions (Photo: Istockphoto)

Transport accounts for 25 percent of the global energy-related emissions of greenhouse gases, and over half of the world’s oil consumption. Transport is therefore a very important component in solving the climate crisis. Finding a renewable energy resource for our transportation modes is important. According to the International Energy Agency both energy use and emissions from the transport sector will increase by 50 percent by 2050 if we do nothing. Most of this growth in emissions will come from road and air traffic.

This is why the Nordic Energy and Transport Programme is launching a call for proposals for projects within electric transportation. The programme has the overall objective of contributing to the achievement of the Nordic vision of becoming "the Green Valley of Europe", as then Danish prime minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen put it during the the Nordic Globalisation Forum in Iceland in 2009:

- The Region should act as a test market for green transport and build the green Nordic brand in the global energy sector," Fogh Rasmussen said.

Great potential

Based on existing regional competencies within sustainable transport and a strong renewable energy sector, the Nordic region has great potential to become a test-bed for sustainable transport solutions. The well-functioning Nordic electricity market and the relatively low carbon footprint of the Nordic energy mix means that electric transportation in the Nordic region has a very low greenhouse gas intensity and a great potential for further development.

So what needs looking into? The call is divided into three thematic areas, covering a wide spectrum of topics:

• Technical aspects: Charging infrastructure, Smart battery charging and Electrification of other transport than road transport.
• Policy and framework conditions: Evaluation of Nordic efforts for sustainable transportation, Policies and potential benefits from harmonisation of incentives and regulations, and Barriers and opportunities.
• Business development in electric transportation: Business model design, and Creating critical mass for Nordic electric transportation solutions.

The programme is operated by a board appointed by the Nordic Council of Ministers. The temporal demarcation of the programme is 3 years - from the beginning of 2010 until the end of 2012. Deadline for applications is 1 November 2010. So if you have any great ideas on how to change the way we think of transportation don’t hesitate to read the full Call for proposals.