Utility Week

UTILITY WEEK | 1ST - 7TH NOVEMBER 2019 | 19 Operations & Assets Operations & Assets given an green hard hat (inset photo). Phil Dupree, logistics and tranship- ment manager for Tideway, said: "I'm delighted that Head Above Water now has pride of place at Northfleet. Men- tal health is an incredibly important issue and it's something that needs as much exposure as possible, especially within the construction industry." Tideway works closely with the charity Mates in Mind and has rolled out "Start the Conversation" train- ing across all of Tideway, which aims to encourage conversations around mental health and wellbeing. If you have an asset or project you would like to see featured in this slot, please send pictures and details to: paulnewton@fav-house.com Market view Clean transport: gathering speed Government funding for electric vehicles is welcome but it needs to be backed up by policies that will encourage consumer take-up. The announcement by business secretary Andrea Lead- som that the UK government will invest up to £1 billion in the automotive industry comes as the industry gears up to meet the challenge of delivering green technolo- gies that cut carbon emissions. This pledge from the government shows further commitment to securing the UK's position as a global leader in clean technologies – notably electric vehicles (EVs) – and meeting the 2050 net-zero emissions goal. This is good news, but plenty could still be done to meet the EV challenge head-on. The government, automotive industry and consum- ers alike understand that EV technology is the future of vehicle transportation. This public funding will support R&D into EVs as well as back the manufacturing of bat- teries, electric motors and hydrogen fuel cells, and has been well received by industry. However, further policy measures would be welcomed to settle regulatory issues and drive consumer adoption. To switch to a decarbonised vehicle transportation system, the government needs to partner with indus- try to develop a national EVCI network that cuts costs through economies of scale and provides industry-wide standards. While the interoperability of EVCI and EVs is inscribed in the law, genuine standardisation and inter- operability have been missing on the ground – it is vital that this is settled to reassure potential EV owners about the convenience and reliability of the UK's EVCI network. From a regulatory perspective, various issues could be looked at to boost investments into EVCI and the efficiency of the wider EV sector, for example EV-to-grid (V2G) connectivity, whereby a charged EV can be used to help power a home – at present, it o›en results in vehi- cle warranties being annulled. Regulations to allow and encourage V2G connectivity could boost EV adoption and help reduce demand on the national grid. On a more macro-level, new rules should also clarify whether EVCI can be connected directly to power stations or transmis- sion networks to maximise efficiency and reduce the impact of such infrastructure on the national grid. Government funding is a crucial component for across-the-board adoption of clean technologies, but surmounting the challenge of shi›ing to a clean vehicle transportation system requires more than investment. The government has an important role to play in settling regulatory questions and working with the private sector to make a success of vehicle transformation. In doing so, EVs in the UK can gather speed and deliver on the country's net-zero carbon emissions targets. Maria Connolly, partner and head of clean energy, TLT

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