Decarbonizing Road & Rail Freight

Decarbonizing Road & Rail Freight

Summary

Road and rail freight transport are essential to keep supply chains moving; however, they are significant sources of emissions. According to the IEA, in 2022, the transport sector accounted for 23% of global CO2 emissions in 2022. In order to meet net-zero targets, a range of energy transition technologies, including electrification, alternative fuels and hydrogen, will need be to be deployed. This report will tackle the development stage of each technology, as well as their suitability to road and rail freight.

In 2022, road transport accounted for 74% of all transport-related emissions, with heavy freight vehicles contributing 16% and rail only contributing 1% of all transport-related emissions. To align with the IEA’s 2050 NZE scenario, the transport sector must reduce CO2 emissions by over 3% per year by 2030. Due to this requirement, both sectors will need to engage with a combination of energy transition technologies to achieve emissions reductions.

This report assesses the suitability of energy transition technologies such as electrification, alternative fuels, and hydrogen, which hold decarbonization potential for both sectors. This report also includes a snapshot of emissions targets and interim strategies from both sectors’ biggest companies, as well as relevant governmental policies and initiatives.

In road freight, the emphasis is shifting toward the electrification of trucks, although challenges like limited range and lengthy refueling times are significant concerns for industry stakeholders. Hydrogen-fueled trucks are also expected to play a significant role in the sector's decarbonization, offering the benefits of longer journeys and faster refueling. However, their high production costs and a lack of refueling infrastructure continue to hinder widespread adoption. In the meantime, alternative fuels and hybrid blends present a viable interim solution while the industry anticipates price reductions for hydrogen and improved performance of batteries within heavy vehicles.

Unlike road freight, the decarbonization of rail freight has not been approached with the same urgency, largely due to the perception that rail is already a cleaner mode of transport. However, rail will be essential in decarbonizing the freight industry, as it represents the most efficient solution for long-haul bulk transport over land.

Ultimately, collaboration between the road and rail sectors will be crucial for reducing emissions and achieving net-zero targets. Intermodal transport will allow both sectors to leverage their strengths: trains will handle longer distances, while trucks will focus on last-mile deliveries in residential or remote areas.

Key Highlights

• Increasing efficiencies and optimization measures will represent the fastest and most cost-effective way to reduce emissions from land freight.
• Electrification will offer huge decarbonizing potential to both rail and road freight transportation as a substitute from traditional ICEs (internal combustion engines).
• The utilization of alternative fuels such as FAME biodiesel, HVO, and synthetic fuels will provide an interim solution for emission reductions whilst the industry awaits further development of more innovative technologies such as hydrogen.
• Hydrogen fuel cells and hydrogen combustion engines will offer great decarbonization potential for the land freight industry by replacing hydrocarbon-based fuels with the input of hydrogen. Widespread adoption of the technology is currently hindered by the high costs of both electricity and new infrastructure.
• Ultimately, collaboration between road and rail will yield the biggest results. Going forward, land freight is likely to be intermodal, i.e.: a combination of both modes of transport, as trains are better suited for long-haul, and trucks are able to cover the first and last kilometres with better flexibility.

Scope

• Global CO2 emissions from the road and rail freight industry, relevant policies for the decarbonization of the industry, analysis of strategies adopted by major players in the road and rail freight industry - including case studies, analysis of different decarbonizing technologies such as electrification, adoption of alternative fuels, and hydrogen.

Reasons to Buy

• Identify market trends within the industry and assess who the biggest players in land freight are and what they are doing to reduce emissions.
• Develop market insight of the major technologies used to decarbonize land freight through case studies from industry leaders in both road and rail.
• Understand adoption trends of emerging low-carbon technologies such as hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen-powered rail.