The UK government is providing 30 million GBP in funding for seven projects that aim to help decarbonise the country’s highways.
The winning projects include ‘carbon capturing’ cement and asphalt made from grass cuttings.
Other plans focus on changing the design, construction and maintenance of UK highways, as well as developing an approach for creating a “net carbon negative model for green infrastructure”.
These projects are spread across the UK, from Lanarkshire to Devon and will be led by local highway authorities. They each aim to reduce emissions, improve regional connectivity and accelerate the transition to net-zero local roads.
“The UK is a world leader in technology and innovation and we must use that strength to drive decarbonisation and the next generation of high tech jobs that go alongside it.
“We are supporting this vital agenda to help level-up through £30 million funding for ground-breaking projects and boosting regional connections to support growth.
“The government is determined to create good, well paid jobs – via innovation and investment across the UK – as we accelerate the road to net zero.”
The seven projects aim to develop, test and roll out new technologies to facilitate long-term decarbonisation, including in supply chain emissions.
The successful bids were:
- Highways CO2llaboration Centre for materials decarbonisation, Transport for West Midlands: Decarbonising highways via a Highways CO2llaboration Centre and demonstrator sites showcasing decarbonised materials
- UK Centre of Excellence for Material Decarbonisation in Local Roads, North Lanarkshire Council: Developing a materials testing programme identifying the latest tech and recycled materials to build roads
- A net carbon-negative model for green infrastructure management, South Gloucestershire Council and West Sussex County Council: Establishing a net carbon negative model for building and delivering green infrastructure, such as recycling biomass from green waste
- A382 Carbon Negative Project, Devon County Council: Changing the design, construction and maintenance of typical highway construction to reduce carbon emissions, and building a new link road including walking and cycling options
- Ecosystem of Things, Liverpool City Council: Exploring a scalable approach to designing infrastructure at city level to embed and adopt decarbonisation initiatives
- Decarbonising street lighting, East Riding of Yorkshire Council: Increasing efficiency for low carbon lighting to make sure they can still be clearly seen by drivers and creating an alternative manual for highway lighting, signing and road marking
- Net Zero Corridors, Wessex Partnership: Pioneering net zero roads linking rural and urban areas that are built without creating more carbon emissions overall in Somerset, Cornwall, and Hampshire
