Bringing

networks
together
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PARTNERSHIP STUDY
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PARTNERSHIP STUDY

citing opportunities for the UK
to address the decarbonisation
of the transportation sector and
offer a new economic opportu-
nity.
Last year the government set
out proposals to install electric
vehicle charging points in new
homes, business parks and
lamp posts as part of its Road to
Zero Strategy.
It also confirmed its ambition
to see at least half of new cars to
be ultra-low emission by 2030.
Cameron Tonkin, Costain’s
power sector director, said: “The
June 2018 progress report by the
Committee on Climate Change
(CCC) found that, in 2017,
transport was the largest single
greenhouse gas (GHG)-emitting
sector in the UK, accounting
for 28 per cent of total emis-
sions. The three most significant
sources of emissions were cars,
vans and heavy goods vehicles
(HGVs), accounting for 87 per
cent of the sector’s emissions.
Decarbonisation relies on the
move away from conventional
engines to electric transport.”
But there are barriers that
need to be overcome in order
the request of government to
make suggestions to govern-
ment and industry to ensure
that the UK’s energy system is
ready for and able to facilitate
and exploit the mass take up of
electric vehicles.
Both Brazier and Cooper
have their own ideas around
how this can be achieved.
“A new model of running
local electricity grids is needed,
so local network operators
become distribution system op-
erators (DSOs) that have options
available to them beyond build-
ing new pylons, substations and
other infrastructure,” notes Bra-
zier. “These changes will lay the
foundations for Britain’s smart
grid, moving local electricity
grids from being distributors of
electricity to being a platform
that new technologies and
services can connect to.”
First announced within
Chancellor Philip Hammond’s
Case study: Project OptiNet
Costain is working closely with Wales & West
Utilities’ (WWU) in conjunction with PassivSystems
budget in November 2017,
“The ENA supports the Charging Infrastructure
Investment Fund (CIIF) is
a whole energy designed to stimulate the
system approach to deployment of EV charging
decarbonisation, infrastructure up and down
the UK.
which includes other Cooper points to the type
forms of decarbonised of infrastructure required to
transport.” enable the mass take-up of
EVs: “As set out in the National
Infrastructure Assessment, an
ultra-rapid charging network
(120-350KW) would be the most
convenient and cost-efficient
solution to overcoming many
consumer concerns. Spanning
the strategic road network, city
forecourts and fleet hubs, ultra-
rapid chargers would provide
drivers with the ability to make
out of pattern and long-distance
journeys and charge their vehi-
cle in less than 10 minutes.”
Over the last year National
Grid have studied the power
capacity of motorway service
additional distributed green gas generation to
connect and flow, even in periods of exceptionally

Bringing networks together

to enable the rollout of electric
vehicles and other forms of
decarbonised transport.
Graeme Cooper, National
Grid’s electric vehicles project
director, believes the biggest
We are moving into a rapid expansion in the uptake of decarbonised barrier to enabling a consumer
rollout of EVs is overcoming the
transport, with car manufacturers and governments across the world perception of range and time
taken to charge.
placing an emphasis on developing the required technology and “Consumers will only switch
to an EV if they are confident
associated energy and transportation infrastructure. This partnership that it will present minimal dis-
and Cadent on Project Optinet, looking at how smart
pressure control, compression and storage might
be used to relieve infrastructure constraints and
enable more biomethane to be brought onto the UK
networks.
WWU continues to connect biomethane
producers to their network, which currently provides
capacity for the energy needs of 130,000 homes.
OptiNet partner Cadent, along with the other
gas networks, predicts continued biomethane
investment in the UK of up to £400m by 2020 which
will see as many as 146 biomethane producing
plants on-line in the UK. This is forecast to provide
low demand.
Tony Voss, transmission & distribution director
at Costain, said: “We are delighted to be working
with our partners on project OptiNet. By diverting
organic waste from landfill where it decays and can
be more harmful to the environment, and facilitating
the injection of green gas into the networks from
distributed biomethane plants, we are playing
our part in moving to a smart, low carbon energy
system which will be critical to the UK in meeting its
decarbonation challenge.”
By further linking these green gas plants up
to the UK’s power and transport networks, we

study brought to you by Network, in association with Costain, is designed ruption to their daily lives,” he
says. “Existing charging infra-
120TWh of green gas feedstock injected annually by
2035 giving safe, sustainable gas supplies for homes
can not only heat thousands of homes, but also
generate renewable power and supply a lower

to examine the changing energy demands to enable future transportation. structure is limited in number,
location and appropriate speed.
and businesses for decades to come and help to
reduce the country’s greenhouse gas emissions.
carbon fuel to heavy goods vehicles. With the
challenges of large-scale hydrogen and batteries

T
he decarbonisation
of transport brings
together two indus-
try juggernauts. The
energy and trans-
portation sectors
have historically had a clear but
distant link, yet they’ve had to
come together in a short time-
frame where customer buying
patterns are at the centre and
critical to success.
Aligning the energy and
transport networks so that they
can sucessfully accommodate
the 36 million electric vehicles
(EVs) expected on UK roads by
2040 is a challenging task, but
one that is being embraced by
the network operators.
The Energy Networks Asso-
ciation (ENA) is the voice of the
energy networks, representing
the electricity and gas transmis-
sion and distribution network
operators in the UK and Ireland.
“Dealing with EVs on a reac-
tive basis will be inefficient and
result in an increased cost to the
customer in network reinforce-
ment in order to maintain
security of electricity supply,”
warns Randolph Brazier, the
ENA’s head of innovation and
development. “A proactive ap-
proach to improve the efficiency
of network investment is key.”
In order to achieve this,
Brazier says energy networks re-
quire clarity in policy; increased
access to data to improve
planning; and clear routes to
funding and cost recovery.
Electric vehicles represent ex-
We believe that for the UK to
achieve large scale uptake of
electric vehicles there is a need
to ensure a widespread network
of appropriate charging points,
which are easily accessible, and
can charge a vehicle at a speed
appropriate to the time spent at
a given location.”
Achieving uptake
The Electric Vehicle Energy
Taskforce has been formed at
Of course, a key driver here is the
decarbonisation of the gas network to support the
transition to a more sustainable, smarter energy
system. With the rising number of distributed gas
and biomethane connections in the networks,
balancing supply with demand on gas networks is
becoming more complex.
Costain’s role in project OptiNet is focused on
the compression requirements to move gas through
the network to centres of demand, sometimes from
lower to higher pressure network tiers to create
the ‘space’ for the biomethane injection, allowing
to power heavy vehicles still being researched,
biomethane is seen as a ‘here and now’ means
of decarbonising HGVs, buses, and other large
vehicles as its combustion can lead to up to 50-80
per cent reduction in carbon emissions and zero
particulate matter compared to Euro V diesel
vehicles.
Statistics indicate that the UK green gas
industry is generating enough biomethane to
power 80 per cent of the UK’s entire bus fleet and
the potential to produce enough biomethane to
power 75 per cent of all HGVs in the UK.
 In association with:
PARTNERSHIP STUDY

areas (MSAs), across the plementing charging infrastruc-

“We believe that for the
UK to achieve large
scale uptake of electric
strategic road network, the
journeys EV drivers are likely
to take, and how close they
would need to be to an ultra-
ture and delivering this against
a changing regulatory backdrop.
“‘Costain is playing a central
role in the future of transport
Together as one
vehicles there is a need rapid charger to overcome
consumer range anxiety.
through our connected autono-
mous vehicle trials working in
Dr Oliver Teall, head of intelligent mobility
to ensure a widespread Adds Cooper: “We have also collaboration with Highways at Costain, discusses some of the challenges
network of appropriate assessed the electricity network
infrastructure required to sup-
England, the Department for
Transport, Transport for London
involved in bringing together the energy and
charging points.” port enough ultra-rapid charge (TfL) and Kent County Council transport sectors.
points to provide confidence to design, install and imple-
to EV drivers and avoid queues ment one of the UK’s first pilot
at peak times. It is evident
that under any likely scenario
of EV uptake, due to existing
connected vehicle corridors on a
live road.”
He added: “The Automated
Q What barriers need to
be overcome in order
to enable the rollout of
draw on an appropriate power
source. Resolving these chal-
lenges requires both sectors to
needed. That’s where fuels like
hydrogen, which has a higher
energy density, could play a
power constraints, most MSAs and Electric Vehicles Act 2018 electric vehicles? collaborate and communicate. valuable part.
will require a reinforced power is designed to ensure charge
connection before 2030 to allow
for the additional numbers of
charge points required to meet
strategic road network, where
an upgraded electricity network
connection would allow 99 per
“This would provide drivers
with the ability to charge their
vehicle in the time it takes to
points meet certain smart
functionality requirements.
However, EVs place demand on
A One of the big barriers is
around the manufacturing
capability for batteries, par-
Q How does the connect-
ed and autonomous
vehicle (CAV) sector play
Q If there’s one thing
that could be done to
progress things in this
consumer charging demand.”    cent of EV drivers in England buy a cup of coffee,” comments the balancing of the network ticularly within Europe, and in into the EV revolution? area, what should it be?
National Grid have identi- and Wales to be within 50 miles Cooper. including its agility. Therefore, a keeping up with demand given
fied an initial 54 ultra-rapid
EV charging sites along the
(in any direction) of an ultra-
rapid charging hub.
Tonkin acknowledges that
there are challenges around im-
barrier to uptake is certainty to
ensure power demand and sup-
ply can be accommodated into
the recent announcements
around ultra-low emission
zones and the push towards
A In the future you’re likely
to see a lot more connected
electric vehicles. Through this
A I think taking a systems-
engineering approach
to what is a very complex
regional and local networks. the decarbonisation of trans- connectivity, you can gather problem would be valuable.
Achieving connectivity “Ofgem is working with net- port. There are also challenges data on how these vehicles are One of the challenges currently
work companies to design the around energy demand and being used and use them to is that many organisations and
Rich Porter, director of technology and for these technologies, with each type of RIIO2 regulatory framework that how local systems may cope inform decisions around where people are working in silos.
innovation at Meridian, talks about the road requiring slightly different solutions. needs to consider the impact of with an increase in energy EV charging infrastructure is Taking a systems-of-systems
infrastructure necessary to support self- Motorways will need to focus on high capacity the uptake of electric vehicles consumption related to electric needed and how to optimise approach and mapping out an
driving vehicles. and very low latency systems which are able and the needs case for strategic vehicles (EVs). energy supply. Autonomous ve- overall architecture to figure
to connect vehicles as they drive by at 70mph. investment. It will continue to hicles are expected to open new out what needs to be done to
Britain’s roads are the safest in Europe, and Urban roads will require traffic lights, railway
yet 165,100 pedestrians and vehicle occupants crossings and other roadside architecture to be
were still injured in some way in accidents in connected and able to share information with
be important for DNO networks
to engage closely with local
authorities and EV charge
Q How should the elec-
tricity and transport
sectors work together to
business models around shared
usage and ride hailing, which
could change how and where
progress this is something that
would be very beneficial to the
conversation.
2018. We are working to get connected and vehicles locally. Finally, in rural areas wireless installers for reviewing connec- help achieve this? EVs are used and charged.
self-driving vehicles on our roads at scale
by 2030, because such technology, among
networks will support fewer vehicles at a time,
but in these locations such innovations are
many other benefits, shows a realistic route to the most necessary as the majority of road
tion needs. Further, it will be
important that Ofgem have in
place the regulatory framework A We know that we need
more charging points for Q What role is there for
other forms of decar-
Q What is Costain’s role
in developing solu-
tions and working with
achieving the government’s aim of reducing the accidents happen on rural roads. for investment stimulus.” EVs, which brings about a bonised transport? the industry?
number of accidents on our roads to zero. The connected and self-driving ecosystem transport infrastructure chal-
The technological advances which underpin is still in the early stages of its development,
this improvement in safety are advanced
communications and automated driving
both in terms of vehicles and their connected
systems. The importance of the testing which they are deployed. These specific projects
Low carbon transport
With a ban on the sale of petrol
and diesel cars from 2040, all
lenge in knowing where to put
them and what type to install.
What this looks like in reality
A I think a mix of technolo-
gies and fuels will con-
tinue to be used in the future.
A Costain is a smart in-
frastructure solutions
company working across energy,
systems. Currently vehicles on our roads are is currently underway in the UK cannot be will provide vital information on the strengths three acknowledge that there changes based on how people For light private vehicles, bat- transportation and water. We are
not able to communicate with each other or understated. Leading the charge in developing and weaknesses of today’s technology, and is also a role for other forms of are going to use their EVs. Are tery EVs seem to be winning as a technology integrator, open to
with roadside infrastructure, relying on the connectivity are testbed UK facilities. Millbrook what the areas of focus will need to be to decarbonised transport such as they going to charge more at the prevalent form of alterna- working with our collaborative
person at the wheel to handle all interactions. completed the first motorway speed 5G tests, roll-out connected and self-driving vehicles as hydrogen powered vehicles. home or are they going to be tive fuel to petrol and diesel. partners, suppliers and clients
Anyone who has used an internet-connected Midlands Future Mobility which is preparing soon and safely as possible. We are working Brazier adds: “The ENA charging in car parks in trans- With larger vehicles such as in this area. Our aim is to inte-
navigation system such as Google Maps or 60km of roads in urban and rural areas for with industry, government and academia, to supports a whole energy system port hubs? Layered on top of trains, buses and HGVs you grate and deliver solutions to get
Waze will have experienced how much quicker testing and CAVWAY which is setting up a create an industry wide roadmap. The UK approach to decarbonisation, that is the actual energy sup- then run into the challenge to the best outcome for the UK
journeys can be when traffic information flexible testbed to mimic various motorway Connected and Automated Mobility Roadmap which very much includes other ply network and the ability to of size and weight of battery and improve people’s lives.
is readily available. By developing vehicle- entrances, exits and junctions. In London, details developments from the present day forms of low carbon transport,
to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure Europe’s only megacity, Smart Mobility to 2030. It presents a single vision that shows such as biogas and hydrogen,
communications networks, systems can be Living Lab has already completed a trial of dependencies, focuses on investment and as solutions to decarbonising Comments Tonkin: “Hydro- given that hydrogen can power port package for businesses to
introduced to reduce congestion and ensure driverless vehicles running along the Thames articulates the path to scale capabilities and transportation as a whole. There gen powered vehicles have not an engine using an adjusted encourage uptake amongst hub-
vehicles are aware of others around them, in Greenwich.   technologies. Although vehicles themselves is especially a strong case for been part of the hype that cur- internal combustion engine or based operations. This should
making crashes less likely. The testbeds allow companies to develop gain much press coverage, the underlying these alternative forms of low rently surrounds EVs. However, through a fuel cell. also support the development of
The first step towards this future is and test their technologies in a controlled way infrastructure will be key to delivering the next carbon transportation in heavy hydrogen has significant poten- “We need targets for deploy- low carbon solutions for heavy,
deploying roadside infrastructure necessary to ensure they are safe and connected before level of safety on British roads. vehicles, freight and the marine/ tial for heavy goods transport, ment of ultra-low emission long-distance vehicles such as
aviation sectors.” rail and shipping particularly commercial vehicles, and a sup- conversion to hydrogen fuel.”
 In association with:
PARTNERSHIP STUDY

“National Grid is technol-

ogy agnostic and so we look to
accommodate any technology,”
remarked Cooper. “So, hydrogen
will likely play an important role
for larger fleet vehicles as they
look to decarbonise. Electric
batteries will be too large and
heavy to make it economical in
the short-term. We could also
see rail use hydrogen too.
“We suspect that consumer
behavior will likely change and
could overtake the 2040 ban,
we see this already in more
advanced EV markets such as
Norway. Whole system thinking
is helpful, but we mustn’t let
the perfect be the enemy of the
good. National Grid is already
bringing energy, transport
and digital sectors together to
explore the decarbonisation of
transport.” 
Ultimately, a cross sector ap-
proach will be needed in order
to make the necessary changes notes Cooper. “As we make the a whole, to find the most op-
required to meet the demands of transition to electric vehicles timal solutions, rather than About Costain
future transportation. But what we have to collaborate because investigating them in silos.”
does this mean in practice? you cannot have one without With the market for elec- Costain improves lives with
“Both sectors have travelled the other. We need to look out tric vehicles in the UK con- smart infrastructure solutions
through history not really for unintended consequences tinuing to grow, the last word across the UK’s energy,
interfering with each other,” and opportunities to make goes to Tonkin: “It requires a water and transportation
each other’s product collective effort to proactively infrastructures. We help to
better. Charging when engage local authorities, mo- safeguard the security, increase
energy is cheaper helps torist organisations, regula- the capacity, improve customer
“Our integrated cross- car owners, smart charg- tors, charge point providers service and drive efficiency
sector expertise enables ing smooths out pressure and distribution network in our clients’ infrastructure
on the grid infrastructure operators to determine the programmes. Our strategy is
us to effectively and charging when wind is horizon needs, challenges to become the UK’s leading
advise in relation strong or when the sun is and risks for identifying smart infrastructure solutions
to both energy and shining helps the planet. agreeable solutions. company through our focus
“We need to ensure that “Costain continues to on blue chip clients whose
transportation decisions are not made in work with energy network major spending plans are
networks.” silos, which then deliver detri- utilities providing support underpinned by strategic
mental impact to other sectors for development of business national needs, regulatory
i.e. energy regulator decides plans for the next regulatory commitments or essential
not to fund infrastructure, period. In addition, Costain maintenance requirements. We
which impacts on transport, adds value to both the energy offer a broad range of innovative
health and climate ambitions/ and transportation networks; services across the whole life
targets. Cross industry regula- improving the performance cycle of our clients’ assets by
tors need to work together with of existing infrastructure to integrating complex delivery,
government and industry to allow it to run more safely, consultancy, technology and
decide, develop solutions and reliably and efficiently. Our asset optimisation services. Our
agree on ‘who pays’ for the integrated cross-sector exper- culture and values underpin
much needed EV infrastruc- tise enables us to effectively everything we do.
ture.” advise in relation to both For further information call 01628
Brazier adds: “Electricity, energy and transportation 842444 or email info@costain.com
gas and transportation are in- networks, and we utilise our
extricably linked, and hence deep knowledge in both sec-
the solution to decarbonising tors to provide an overarch-
all three sectors must be to ing view of how they might
look at the energy system as come together.”