A new Smart Tech Programme aims to reduce Transport Emissions for 1,000 Irish Heavy Goods Vehicles

A new initiative launched jointly by 3 Counties Energy Agency (3CEA) and Corcra Ltd will see 1,000 heavy good vehicles (HGVs) in Ireland fitted with smart technology in a bid to help drivers reduce carbon emissions by 10% and save up to 10% on their fuel costs.

The Greener HGV Programme project received €1.4 million in funding from the Climate Action Fund, which is a Project Ireland 2040 investment fund intended to improve infrastructure in the country and support projects working to reduce carbon emissions.

In a pilot study conducted by Kilkenny-based 3CEA, we calculated a potential savings of €17,000 per vehicle across a five-year period. This could be achieved through reducing certain habits, such as over-revving, harsh braking and engine idling. The amount of CO2 saved by this process was also calculated to be equivalent to removing 866 cars from Irish roads for one year.

The Greener HGV Programme will run for two years, during which time 3CEA will handle the coordination of the subsidy grants available for Irish fleet companies to install the necessary technology. It will also be responsible for providing training.

By using data collected from the programme’s technology alongside improving driving culture, the initiative hopes to see a considerable reduction in the carbon footprints and fuel costs of participating businesses.

Smart telematics technology is key to this programme. This includes tracking, fuel monitoring, remote tachograph downloads and compliance software, live footage cameras and driver awareness panels. “We use the hardware to gather real-time data, which allows us to record baseline driver and vehicle information” said Robert Steele from Corcra.

A case study carried out by Corcra using similar conditions to the Greener HGV Project between January 2017 and September 2020 revealed the following results:

• MPG (Miles per Gallon) – Improved from 7.75MPG to 8.95MPG
• A 15.4pc increase in performance/ MPG
• Saving of 658,365 L of road diesel across 60 vehicles
• Emissions saving of 1,766.79 tonnes of CO2 – The equivalent of removing 866 cars from our roads for a year.

“Every fleet vehicle in the country will benefit from this cost and emissions saving exercise. We have funding for 1,000 vehicles and have already fitted 100 HGVs with telematic equipment. Any fleet company that is interested in saving fuel and reducing their CO2 emissions needs to act now as we anticipate this scheme will be extremely popular.” Concluded Paddy Phelan of 3CEA.

This best practice is issued from our publication Sustainable Regions in Action 2022. Read it now to discover many more best practices from FEDARENE members as well as an overview of our activities.