Brenner Base Tunnel: environmental impact and electrification of heavy transport

The aim of the study was to provide a methodology to assess whether, over time, the construction of a large railway infrastructure could reduce the CO2 emissions produced in freight transport.

The methodology, based on rail and road simulations, takes into account the specific characteristics of the infrastructure, the route and the type of vehicles used. The Brenner corridor expansion was used as a case study. A balance sheet was used to compare the estimated CO2 emissions from the construction of the BBT (Brenner Basis Tunnel) with the potential CO2 savings from the modal shift of freight from road to rail. The proposed methodology also aims to estimate the offset period, i.e. the number of years required for the CO2 emission reductions allowed by the operation of the railway infrastructure to offset the emissions generated during its construction.

The salient point of the analysis conducted by Eurac Research researchers, consists in having considered the future impact of the electrification of road transport, and the evolution over time of the energy mix towards decarbonisation. The study includes, in fact, a sensitivity analysis regarding several parameters, such as the speed of introduction of electric vehicles into the market, and the different quantities of goods that could be transferred annually from road to rail. Depending on these variables, the results estimate the time needed to offset the CO2 emissions of the tunnel construction phase.

“The analysis shows that in the case of a fully electrified road scenario, there is no direct CO2 advantage between rail and road transport. However, rail transport shows significant energy efficiency, consuming less energy per tonne of freight transported than road transport," says Federica Maino, co-author of the study.

“In the study, we analysed several road transport electrification scenarios, and depending on which scenario we see coming to fruition in the next few years, the time to offset emissions varies very substantially, ranging from approx. 5 to over 18 years," concludes Wolfram Sparber, co-author of the study and director of the Renewable Energy Institute.

The results will provide important information for transport policies, planning and for the development of large-scale infrastructure projects, supporting evidence-based decisions regarding the reduction of CO2 emissions, and more generally regarding the sustainability of freight transport.

Link to the scientific article