Overview
Rapid and efficient transportation of people is essential in modern society. However, greenhouse gas emissions from transport have continued to increase in recent years, in contrast to the emission reductions achieved in other sectors. This is largely down to the fact that transport is heavily dependant on oil and other non-renewable sources. In parallel, there is increasing evidence that the growth in biofuels, as a potential alternative and renewable transport fuel, is having a negative impact on the availability of food and on the price of commodities. The origin of commodities for biofuel production is, therefore, an important issue which needs to be taken into account when considering the change-over to alternative transport fuels.
The ETRUSCAN LIFE project aims to contribute to achieving EU climate change mitigation objectives by promoting greater use of public transport, increased use of renewable energies in public transport, improving the efficiency of energy use in transport, and promoting sustainable tourism. The project will also demonstrate that it is possible to produce energy with local resources close to the place where they are intended for use, by developing short (sub-provincial) energy supply chains.
Specific objectives of the project include:
- To contribute to the reduction of the carbon footprint of the Province of Viterbo;
- To demonstrate that local and renewable sources of energy can be successfully used to power transport vehicles; and
- To increase local awareness of the local and global implications of the use of fossil fuels and promote behavioural change in relation to mobility and transport.
Expected results:
- Creation of two extra-urban bus prototypes with parallel hybrid drive and set-up with 18/22 seats - to go into service in January 2011;
- Creation of two photovoltaic electric recharging sub-stations (to recharge the bus batteries), each producing 10 KW/hr per hour - operational from January 2011;
- Two plants to convert used vegetable oil into biofuel will be in operation from January 2011, each producing approximately 1 500 l/yr: sufficient to refuel two extra-urban hybrid buses;
- Achievement of the shortest possible chain between the place of energy production and the place of energy supply (producing all the energy necessary to feed the batteries from local sources);
- The hybrid buses to be in daily use for at least 230 days/yr for two years over different distances. In total, some 20 000 passengers/yr will use the buses.