Industry collaboration delivers UK’s lowest carbon road maintenance projects

Three local roads in the north east have become the lowest carbon highways ever to be resurfaced in the UK, thanks to a project that has set a new benchmark for the way roads are maintained.

Working in partnership with Hartlepool Borough Council and Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council together with international partners including Shell, Volvo CE, Wirtgen and JCB, Tarmac, a CRH company, has reduced the carbon emissions of the road schemes by up to 80% compared to projects using traditional methods. It is understood these projects have the lowest CO₂ emissions for road resurfacing in the UK without using carbon offsetting.

The project team combined an extensive range of low carbon materials, techniques and plant equipment for the very first time to resurface a section of the A689 in Wynyard, near Hartlepool, and two residential roads in Stockton-on-Tees Borough.

Warm mix asphalt was used together with a new bio-component binder from Shell which uses bio-genic materials to create a “technical carbon sink” in the road to prevent carbon being released into the atmosphere.

The surface course and lower layer of the pavements used 30% recycled asphalt planings (RAP) in the lower layer and 20% in the surface course to reduce the need for primary materials. Tarmac’s asphalt manufacturing plant at Coxhoe was powered by a combination of bio-fuel and electricity.

A number of electric plant vehicles and prototypes were supplied by partners such as Volvo and Wirtgen, including electric and hybrid road rollers and an electric bond coat sprayer. Other plant vehicles were powered by hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), provided by Certas Energy, as an alternative to diesel. Materials were also kept in stores provided by ZappShelter, to minimise the energy needed to dry them out before producing asphalt, and Greener Power Solutions provided a battery unit.

Commenting on the delivery of the project, Brian Kent, technical director at Tarmac, said, “While this project has delivered local environmental benefits in the north east, it’s also nationally significant because it provides a blueprint for how to decarbonise every element of highways delivery. Our team has shown that it’s possible to significantly turn the decarbonisation dial with new material technologies, cutting-edge plant and collaborative working with local authorities and the supply chain.

“To replicate this approach on every project will require further investment and scaling up of technology across the industry. It’s now important that we take learnings from this ground-breaking project to help inform further decarbonisation across the local and strategic road networks.”

Councillor Mike Young, Leader of Hartlepool Borough Council, said, “The Tees Valley is an area renowned for innovation, and I’m delighted and proud that we are leading the way nationally with these low-carbon road resurfacing schemes. Schemes such as this reflect the Council’s determination to reduce its carbon footprint to help tackle the causes of climate change.”

Darren Fitch, head of market area GB, Ireland, Benelux and Iceland, Volvo CE, said, “We need to do our part – by producing sustainable construction equipment and charging solutions – but policymakers and authorities must also do their part to support the decarbonisation transition. Stepping up and using our collective power – as we demonstrate here with this holistic end-to-end partnership – will strengthen our ability to do more and achieve more for the environment.”