Post on 30-Jul-2021
1July 2017Unclassified - Public Domain© Ricardo plc 2017
Delivering Excellence Through Innovation and Technology
Ricardo Energy & Environment
Air Quality and Transport
Tim Curtis, February 2019
3D visualisation of London street-level air quality data
2July 2017Unclassified - Public Domain© Ricardo plc 2017
• World-leading capability, comprising 470 scientists,
engineers, economists and data specialists
• Providing analysis and solutions for major
environmental challenges
• Covering full range of skills in energy, climate, scarce
resources, waste management, water, air quality,
environmental impact, sustainable transportation, and
chemical risk management
• Client base of international organisations,
governments and businesses
Ricardo Energy & Environment - who we are
3July 2017Unclassified - Public Domain© Ricardo plc 2017
Air Quality – why is it important?
• Air Pollution responsible for 7,000,000 premature
deaths annually (source: WHO)
• 400,000 die prematurely in Europe a result of air
pollution (source: EEA)
• Huge economic costs to society … 10% of EU GDP
(source: UNEP)
• In the future air pollution is predicted to kill more
people in cities than dirty water and lack of sanitation
(source: OECD)
• Ever tighter legislation eg EURO vehicle standards /
Air Quality Directive
• Huge increase in public awareness due to poor air
quality and impact on health
4July 2017Unclassified - Public Domain© Ricardo plc 2017
Air Quality – why is it important?
5July 2017Unclassified - Public Domain© Ricardo plc 2017
Air Quality – what has transport got to do with it?
EU NOX levels to 2016 (Source: European Environment Agency)
• Between 1990 and 2016, the EU
transport sector significantly reduced
emissions of major air pollutants
• But, emission reductions from road
transport have been lower than
originally anticipated, because:
Transport activity has grown more
than forecasted
For certain pollutants, growth in diesel
vehicles (which produce higher
NOx and PM emissions than petrol-
fuelled vehicles) has been
greater than expected
‘Real-world emissions' of NOx,
particularly from diesel passenger
cars and vans, generally exceed the
permitted European emission (Euro)
standards
6July 2017Unclassified - Public Domain© Ricardo plc 2017
• Operation of air pollution measurement networks around the globe
• Delivery of atmospheric modelling studies and pollution forecasting
• Emission inventory design, development, compilation, interpretation
• Technical and economic analysis of new low carbon vehicle technologies
• Modelling future transport solutions / sustainable mobility strategies
• Advising on vehicle electrification and infrastructure requirements
• Assessing the social, economic and environmental impacts of policy
Ricardo - Air Quality and Sustainable Transport
We have advised over 250
cities on their transportation
and air pollution problems
Over 130 engineers,
scientists, modellers,
economists, data specialists
and consultants
Most at Masters level
7July 2017Unclassified - Public Domain© Ricardo plc 2017
Air Quality action in the UK
• £260 million was committed by UK Government in 2018
to help improve air quality in the most polluted areas
• Councils can make proposals to obtain funding for
actions like:
New “park and ride” services
Freight consolidation centres (to prevent heavy trucks
driving into city centres)
Incentives to travel by bus or train instead of car
Installing electric charge point hubs in car parks
Funding for ultra-low emission taxi leasing schemes
Traffic management and monitoring systems
Low emission technology retrofit to bus fleets
Ricardo has worked with over 10 Councils so far, and
helped them to produce the scientific evidence to
secure over £25m of funding for clean air actions
8July 2017Unclassified - Public Domain© Ricardo plc 2017
Delivering Excellence Through Innovation and Technology
Ricardo Energy & Environment
Low emission strategy support
Evidence is used to shape,
low emissions strategies at
city, regional and national
scales, with the ultimate aim
to reduce exposure to
pollutants and improve
health outcomes.
Ricardo’s city-scale air
pollution and decision
support tool, RapidAir®,
provides highly spatially
resolved air pollution
evidence to city decision
makers.
The link between air
pollution and negative health
outcomes for inhabitants of
towns and cities around the
world is now universally
accepted.
High Quality EvidenceUrban Air Pollution Informed Policy
9July 2017Unclassified - Public Domain© Ricardo plc 2017
Delivering Excellence Through Innovation and Technology
Ricardo Energy & Environment
Supporting UK Power Networks in
understanding the implications of
Vehicle to Grid (V2G) services
Project output will be
network modelling to
understand the impact and
opportunities V2G can
provide to electricity sector.
The aim will be to defer
expensive reinforcement.
Ricardo’s world-leading
expertise in Smart Grids will
provide V2G modelling
capabilities, using an
existing distribution network
planning tool to understand
electricity demand changes.
UK Power Networks is
exploring new services
related to electric vehicles
(EV) through four Innovate
UK V2G projects, involving
residential EVs, fleet EVs
and electric buses.
Network Modelling ExpertiseTransPower Project Impact Analysis of V2G
10July 2017Unclassified - Public Domain© Ricardo plc 2017
Delivering Excellence Through Innovation and Technology
Ricardo Energy & Environment
Solutions to deliver low carbon
traction power for railways
Benefits to Network Rail:
• Lower electricity costs
over a long term period
• Additional power allows
increasing train length and
higher service frequency
• Supporting Network Rail’s
de-carbonisation target
Ricardo’s renewable energy
experts developed a solution
which:
• Can connect easily to the
existing system
• Matches solar PV
generation with demand,
using electricity storage
Traction power for rail is
increasing, but very
intermittent in its nature,
linked to train timetables and
acceleration.
Renewable electricity
generation and storage can
provide an effective solution.
The SolutionThe Challenge Client Benefits
11July 2017Unclassified - Public Domain© Ricardo plc 2017
Delivering Excellence Through Innovation and Technology
Ricardo Energy & Environment
Real-world vehicle emissions and
Ricardo’s unique remote-sensing database
This work supports improved air
quality model and inventory
development and Clean Air Zone
scenario planning.
Now looking at combining with
automatic number plate
recognition (ANPR) camera
networks to allow cities to act on
the vehicles entering their area.
To address this problem, Ricardo
has developed a database of
over 250,000 real-world vehicle
emissions measurements.
This provides unrivalled insight
into old and new vehicle types,
across a range of ambient
temperatures, road types and
different driving conditions.
Vehicles driven under ‘real-world’
conditions produce higher
emissions than those measured
under laboratory-based test
procedures.
Such discrepancies have
resulted in pollution reduction
policies failing to deliver the
benefits originally anticipated.
Emissions DatabaseReal-world Vehicle Emissions Better Air Quality Policy
12July 2017Unclassified - Public Domain© Ricardo plc 2017
Air Quality in China
Air Quality issues rank 4th in all leading
factors for premature deaths in China
(MEE, China). Ricardo has worked on
several air quality projects in China
Jinan Air quality management strategy
Air quality action plan for greater Beijing
13July 2017Unclassified - Public Domain© Ricardo plc 2017
Delivering Excellence Through Innovation and Technology
Ricardo Energy & Environment
Strengthening industry emission
standards in India
The work entailed a detailed
review of current processes and a
global benchmarking exercise.
This led to recommendations to
improve the process (resourcing,
evidence base and engagement)
and a workshop disseminating
findings to government, industry
and NGOs.
Industrial pollution is a major
contributor to pollution problems
in India. The Shakti Foundation
tasked us to undertake an in-
depth review of the process for
setting industry emission
standards in India and provide
recommendations for
strengthening the process.
Shakti Sustainable Energy
Foundation works to facilitate
India’s transition to a cleaner
energy future by aiding the
design and implementation of
policies that promote clean
power, energy efficiency,
sustainable transport, climate
policy and clean energy finance.
Industrial Pollution ControlShakti Sustainable
Energy FoundationImproving Policy