Project aims to make construction sites diesel free

The Department for Transport (DfT)-supported Diesel Free Construction Sites project will bring together interested bodies including contractors, technology providers and governing bodies to agree and drive a programme for diesel-free construction sites within the transport network.

Project manager at the MTC, Jade Myall said the construction sector was responsible for nearly a quarter of the world's CO2 emissions, with around 5.5 per cent of this coming directly from activities on construction sites, mainly due to machinery and equipment powered by fossil fuels.

"This project will establish a pathway to delivering a significant portion of the participating organisations' carbon and greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets. More importantly, it could also open doors for the wider adoption of clean energy beyond the construction sector," she said in a statement. "Zero-carbon economic growth is at the heart of the MTC's business strategy, and we are working with our industrial and academic partners to deliver significant positive contributions to this target.”

Project partners have already achieved a degree of success in this endeavour. In May this year HS2 announced its first completely diesel-free site at the Canterbury Road vent shaft site in South Kilburn, London. HS2's civils contractor, Skanska Costain STRABAG joint venture, introduced diesel free technologies and greener equipment including biofuels to power plant and machinery, an electric compressor, access to mains power on a 100 per cent renewable tariff and the use of the UK's first 160-tonne emissions-free fully-electric crawler cranes.

The project team will look at ways to build on the work the partners have already done in the field and will develop and support a future strategy to implement innovation and best practice into the mainstream.