Hartlepool leads way with UK’s lowest carbon resurfacing scheme

Hartlepool Borough Council has been working with Tarmac  – the construction materials company most famous for inventing the modern road surface in 1903 –and a number of international organisations, to resurface a stretch of the A689 at Wynyard using the latest cutting-edge technology to reduce the carbon emissions on the project by up to 80 per cent compared to traditional methods.

Using its 120 years of experience of road building, Tarmac’s team has combined some of the very latest low-carbon materials, techniques and equipment for the very first time. The project team involved looked at every source of carbon emissions involved in a road project and how they could be reduced.

The asphalt used for the new road surfaces has been mixed at lower temperatures to save more carbon and includes significant quantities of recycled materials from old roads.It also includes a special bitumen – the ‘glue’ that sticks the asphalt together – developed by Shell using bio-genic materials that create a technical carbon sink in the road to prevent carbon being released into the atmosphere. The manufacturing plant used to make the asphalt has been powered by an alternative to traditional fossil fuels.

A number of electric vehicles and prototypes have been helping to carry out the work which were supplied from across Europe by partners such as Wirtgen and Volvo. This includes electric and hybrid road rollers and an electric bond coat sprayer, while a number of other vehicles have been powered by a sustainable fuel made of vegetable oil as an alternative to diesel.

In addition to the A689 project, two residential roads in Stockton-on-Tees have bee resurfaced in the same way.

Brian Kent, technical director at Tarmac, said: “Against the backdrop of the climate emergency at a time when everyone is focused on how we can be cutting emissions, we are incredibly proud to have delivered a project here in the north east of England that shines a light on the extraordinary potential for low carbon road building in the UK.

“To replicate this approach on every project would require further investment and scaling up technology across the industry. However, through the commitment and collaboration of all partners, and the forward thinking of both councils, we’ve proved what can be done. This achievement is testament to the work of everyone involved in the project, who have pulled out all the stops and left no stone unturned in pursuit of the lowest carbon approach.”

Councillor Mike Young, Leader of Hartlepool Borough Council, said: “The Tees Valley is an area renowned for innovation, and I’m delighted and proud that we are leading the way nationally – in partnership with Tarmac – with these low-carbon road resurfacing schemes.

“Schemes such as this reflect the Council’s determination to reduce its carbon footprint to help tackle the causes of climate change. We are committed to becoming a “Net Zero” emissions authority by working in partnership with a range of stakeholders. To help us achieve this, we are currently developing a strategy and action plan. This is building on work we are already delivering in a number of key areas such as home energy efficiency and renewables.”