The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to provide potential suppliers with an overview of the challenge and seek responses that explain the capabilities of products and solutions available in the marketplace, or near-market prototypes. A variety of potential solutions are sought to this challenge, and there is no presumption that respondents will have previous experience operating in a rail, freight or logistics area. Given the complexity of this challenge, it is anticipated that individual suppliers might not be able to address every aspect of the solution and would need to work with partners for any development activity that follows. If this is the case, please include this information in your response, such as information on your organisation’s strengths and the partner capabilities you might seek.
This request for information is purely for the purposes of creating a clear understanding of possible solutions, their capabilities and technical readiness. This information will be used to inform future development opportunities.
Please respond by completing the template attached with this notice. Closing date for this opportunity is 22nd of October 2021.
If you have questions relating to this request for information, please send them to railfreightestates@cp.catapult.org.uk
Introduction
In order to address the challenge of climate change, the UK Government became the first major economy to pass laws to end its contribution to global warming and bring all greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. While substantial progress has been made to reduce total carbon emissions in the UK, transport emissions have remained broadly flat over the last 30 years. To address this, the Government recently published its Transport Decarbonisation Plan – the first such plan in the world – which sets out their plans to deliver a net zero transport system by 2050.
On average, rail freight trains currently emit a quarter of the CO2 emissions of HGVs per tonne km travelled. Due to this, Government supports and incentivises the modal shift of freight from road to rail to reduce carbon emissions from across the freight sector. However, rail freight itself will also need to decarbonise to help reach the UK government’s target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050. While the decarbonisation of trains is already being addressed by Government and industry, what more can be done to decarbonise freight terminal operations?
Why should you respond?
Your responses will help to inform us of potential technology directions and innovation spaces. In turn we can use this to inform on where future technology support and possible CR&D activities could be focused to accelerate the deployment of lower-carbon approaches. Should this happen, your feedback into this process will enable us to signpost you to such opportunities.
What happens within a typical rail freight estate?
There are also two main classifications of freight goods: bulk products and intermodal containers. The former category can refer to aggregates, cement, scrap metals, grain, biomass or oil & petroleum, for example – the product is fundamentally a loose product. The second category, intermodal, refers to the transportation of goods in standardised ISO containers that facilitate transfer between road, rail and sea.
Some terminals have automated loading and unloading systems, some have diesel-powered lifting systems having limited movement within the terminal, while many rely on the use of non-road mobile machinery (NRMMs) which to date are typically diesel powered. What can be done to transition the industry away from diesel-powered equipment to lower carbon forms of product movement?
We need solutions for the loading, unloading and movement of goods within the rail freight estate in a way which supports a pathway to net-zero
Goods need to be moved on and off trains. How can this be achieved in a way which emits lower and ideally zero carbon emissions? In this challenge, we are interested in learning about any potential innovative solutions that could support the industry in achieving lower carbon emissions.
There is no strict boundary to this challenge. This request for information is seeking to understand the landscape for technology or potential developments which will solve the broad challenge of emissions generated from the operations within a rail freight terminal.
Do you have technologies, ideas or business models which could support a pathway towards zero-carbon emission operations within a rail freight terminal? This could include
- equipment used within the rail freight terminal for loading and unloading of goods to/from trains
- movement of goods within the rail freight terminal
- equipment used within the rail freight terminal for loading and unloading to/from the next transport mode in the journey such as HGVs.
- design aspects of rail freight wagons which facilitate lower-carbon handling of goods through the terminal
While the scope for ideas within the terminal operations is broad, the following specific areas are considered out of scope:
- Heating and lighting within buildings on site
- The rolling stock locomotives
- Road vehicles which enter and leave the rail freight terminal not belonging to or directly operated by or on behalf of the terminal
If you have questions relating to this request for information, please send them to railfreightestates@cp.catapult.org.uk
Link to the Low Carbon Freight Estate project privacy notice.
