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Bjarne Schmidt of the Danish Road Institute has been interviewed for Danish newspaper Politiken (http://politiken.dk/klima/klimakloden/ECE1174686/bedre-asfalt-skal-spare-benzin/) .  The Danish Road Institute issued a press release on the background.

These report a new national research project Cooee, to reduce rolling resistance on the roads which will contribute to a better environment. 

The Danish Strategic Research Council has just granted 13.8 million DKK (approx.  2 million EUR) to the Cooee project (CO2 Energy Efficiency) to reduce road transport emissions of CO2 and nitrogen. The Cooee project is a collaboration between the Danish Road Directorate, Roskilde University, the Technical University of Denmark, NCC Roads and Dynatest Ltd.. The overall scientific coordinator is Professor Jeppe Dyre, Roskilde University who was also interviewed for web site videnskab.dk (Science.dk) at http://videnskab.dk/composite-6085.htm

"The project will focus on rolling resistance, which is the resistance that occurs when the tire and road meet, says project manager and senior researcher Bjarne Schmidt from the Danish Road Directorate." Bjarne Schmidt points out that the project will contribute significantly to the international project MIRIAM (Models for rolling resistance in Road Infrastructure Asset Management Systems) which has been established by 12 European and US partners see http://miriam-co2.net/ .  MIRIAM will create vital knowledge and input for FEHRL's Forever Open Road programme (www.foreveropenroad.eu).

It is estimated that 25 percent of the CO2 emitted on the roads is caused by rolling resistance. It is expected that we may save 3-5% on fuel consumption, equivalent to at least 48 million litre of fuel annually. That will provide 45,000 tons less greenhouse gases as CO2 and 76 tons less nitrogen oxides NOx. This is demonstrated in a preliminary study which assumes a replacement of the pavement wearing course on all state roads over a 15 year period.

"In a socioeconomic perspective we will ideally be able to save 300 million DKK (40 million EUR) when the expected output is implemented. Either way, each step to reduce emissions to the environment is helpful to the Danish road sector," says Bjarne Schmidt.

The project aims to reduce rolling resistance to a more energy efficient level e.g. by examining how various wearing course materials change over time and how these developments affect fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. This should make it possible to identify the most CO2 friendly material compositions.

In recent years, the transport sector's share of CO2 emissions has increased from 21 to 30 percent. The road transport sector is the main contributor, as the sector accounts for 78 percent of total emissions from the entire transport sector - a total of 13 million tonnes of CO2 annually.

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