Investment for a better freight sector

Feature

Image: TUAL will be working with Wincanton to trial powerbanks for electric lorries. 

A number of projects to decarbonise the freight sector have been announced, alongside £12 million to create better conditions for lorry drivers, such as better truckstops and more HGV parking.

Winning projects from the third round of the Freight Innovation Fund have been announced, worth £1.8 million from both government and industry.

Delivered by Connected Places Catapult, the Freight Innovation Fund gives SMEs access to technical and business support to develop new groundbreaking projects that aim to decarbonise freight.

The latest projects to receive funding include TUAL working with Wincanton to trial high performance powerbanks for electric lorries. 

Unlike traditional charging, which can take hours, TUAL’s powerbanks can be swapped out in under five minutes, ensuring that vehicles spend more time on the road and less time charging.

The modular nature of TUAL’s powerbanks means they can be scaled to meet the specific needs of different eLCV and eHGV fleet sizes and use-cases. 

Funding has also been announced to Innervated Vehicle Engineering working in partnership with Asda to retrofit hydrogen power to small delivery vans in Sheffield.

Another company that has secured funding is RAD Propulsion, who will work with Williams Shipping to demonstrate a clean, electric, automated waterway micro freight logistics transport system. 

XeroE Sustainability Logistics, meanwhile, will work with DHL, to pilot the use of containerised cargo bikes alongside virtual micro hubs. The goal of this initiative is to demonstrate the economic viability of the system, significantly increase the proportion of deliveries made by cargo bikes, and accurately measure the emissions reductions achieved.

Botanic Energy’s efficient core heat transfer technology offers low emissions transport chilling and refrigeration without damaging refrigerants, targeted at temperature-controlled intermodal transport and cold chain logistics. The company has secured funding to do trials with Cambridge Refrigeration Technology and Sainsbury’s Supermarkets.

Ecomar Propulsion will work with Forth Ports and the Port of Exeter to trial a commercial vessel using battery and hydrogen with a new electrical powertrain. The trial aims to prove the possibility of achieving ‘below deck’ mounting of hydrogen systems and the ease of fuelling and charging with this combined approach. 

Funding has been secured by GoMetro to trial its data-driven EV feasibility planning solution for fleet owners driven by a telematics aggregation platform, Bridge. With trial partner Maritime Logistics, they will be collecting and analysing fleet movement data for a chosen depot, from which they will identify critical vehicle and infrastructure specification needs.

GPC Systems’ Forklift Measure is designed for logistics companies moving cargo using forklifts looking to use dimensions for journey efficiency and revenue generation. The trial will validate fast, accurate dimension capture of freight, using low cost, plug and play hardware. The trial will collaborate with Pall-ex UK and The Welch Group.

Speaking about the fund, chief executive officer at Connected Places Catapult, Erika Lewis, said: “This programme gives bespoke support to SMEs, working hand-in-hand with industry as they trial their solutions in real-world environments. By supporting new ideas in freight, we are helping to unlock the sector’s potential to be greener and more efficient.”

Better conditions for truck drivers

To create better conditions for lorry drivers, £12 million in joint government and industry funding has been announced, which will fund measures such as better truckstops and more HGV parking.

430 new lorry parking spaces will be upgraded as part of the fund, which relieve local congestion by helping reduce the number of large trucks parking in town centres or on the side of the road.

The investment will also help build better dining, changing and rest facilities, as well as new CCTV and secure fencing to boost welfare and security for lorry drivers.  

The funding is from the third year of the HGV parking and driver welfare grant scheme, which will come in addition to £8 million from industry, for a total funding boost of £12.5 million to improve truckstops.

The funding will be spread across England to ensure all lorry drivers in the country can benefit from better roadside facilities and better working conditions, while supporting local jobs and economic growth.