National Highways has insisted that the £9bn Lower Thames Crossing (LTC) still has a ‘vital’ role as a pathfinder project for low carbon construction, despite its start date being put back by two years, but has said the delay may see the scheme adopting techniques developed elsewhere.
In February 2022, National Highways announced that the planned tunnel linking Kent and Essex had been designated a pathfinder project to explore carbon neutral construction and would be the first major UK infrastructure project to use procurement to lower construction carbon.
The scheme was due to begin in 2024-25 but in March it was announced that this had been put back by two years.
A National Highways spokesperson told Highways that the project’s role as a pathfinder project ‘remains vital’ and that ‘the delivery of the Lower Thames Crossing coming at a pivotal moment on that journey it remains a huge opportunity to drive change in how we build roads and new infrastructure’.
The spokesperson added: ‘The project’s procurement process – with carbon reduction at its heart – is already having a significant impact on the changing the market, with the award to Balfour Beatty (Roads North of the Thames contract) being the first low carbon large scale infrastructure contract awarded.
‘We are also continuing our engagement with industry on the use of green hydrogen in construction. The additional time gives us an exciting opportunity to take advantage of new and emerging innovations and technologies; optimising materials, plant and construction methods as we seek to further drive down our carbon emissions.’
In fact, when National Highways announced the £1.2bn Roads North of the Thames contract in January, it made no reference to having used the procurement process to lower construction carbon, other than to state that Balfour Beatty ‘share our commitment to driving carbon out of construction’.
Balfour Beatty was only able to state that it would ‘explore’ techniques, including modular construction, ‘that have the potential to reduce our environmental impact and support the project’s low carbon targets’.
In its application for a development consent order last year, National Highways claimed to have already saved 402,000 tonnes CO2 equivalent by using a high proportion of low carbon GGBS (Ground Granulated Blast-furnace Slag), a cement replacement widely used in concrete production. However, Highways revealed that this was based on a comparison with using ‘zero’ GGBS.
Earlier this month, Laing O’Rourke announced that it is mandating low carbon concrete on all of its new UK projects, further undermining the presentation of low carbon concrete as a carbon reduction measure compared to a business-as-usual approach.
National Highways’ previous target date for road opening was 2030. The company told Highways: ‘We’re now working with government to understand the impact of rephasing works by two years on the road opening date.
‘We’re still focused on opening the new road as soon as possible, and are working with government and our Delivery Partners to ensure there is an effective and deliverable plan that offers the best value for money to the UK.’
Highways revealed in December that the projected user emissions from the scheme were 25% higher than anticipated in National Highways' abortive 2020 DCO application, according to documents submitted for the new application.
Asked what impact the delay might have on user emissions, the spokesperson told Highways: ‘We anticipate that by the time the Lower Thames Crossing opens, the makeup of vehicles on the roads will be cleaner and greener, helping to bring down road user carbon emissions.’
The spokesperson added: ‘We do not see the rephasing by two years as having any substantive impact on the planning application and will continue to press on through the DCO process as fast as possible.’
National Highways said the remaining two Delivery Partner contracts for Tunnels and Approaches and for Kent Roads will be awarded soon.
