National Highways | Much to do on Lower Thames Crossing to resolve carbon issues

Lower Thames Crossing faces serious carbon issues or it wont be built according to one of the National Highways leaders on the project.

Lower Thames Crossing (LTC) faces serious challenges in order to meet its net zero carbon, or it wont be built according to one of its senior management team.

Speaking at NCE's Tunnelling Festival on the 7th December, National Highways Lower Thames Crossing project director, tunnels, Sinisa Galac said,

“We have been rightfully challenged by environmental groups and by the government to be where we should be with the Paris Climate Agreement.

And the Climate Change Act 2008 is a legally binding document – if we don’t end up on the path towards carbon net zero in 2050, we are going to be breaking the law,”

He continued: “Government has supported us, and they have announced us as a carbon pathfinding scheme […] It means we’ve got the budget for innovation, it means that we’ve apparently got the support in the change in the standards when required. Without this, we will not be able to deliver and we’re going to fall off the curve going towards 2050.

“Alternative? There is none. If we don’t resolve it, there won’t be a project.”

He said that the project has also already removed 30% of the carbon through redesign. “It’s nothing too smart,” he said. “After the first design team has designed a bridge, [another design team] goes in solely to reduce carbon.”

He said that another 20-30% of the carbon will be reduced by the future replacement of fossil fuels with hydrogen and alternative fuels. Another 10-20% will be slashed through carbon capture.

“If any of those fail, the project fails,” he said.

A recent report from the National Audit Office revealed that the cost of the LTC project has recently been revised upwards once again to £9bn.

National Highways is said to be monitoring the project over value for money concerns.

The development consent order (DCO) application for LTC was submitted in early November, two years after the initial application was withdrawn due to the Planning Inspectorate’s demand for more information in relation to construction plans and environmental mitigations.

The DCO application has been accepted by the Planning Inspectorate for examination, which is expected to be a long and hotly contested one.