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And Lord Bamford wants you to participate.
Current consensus appears to be that battery-electric power is the best viable alternative to diesel engines for smaller machines but larger machines will need some form of hydrogen power. Many are relaxed about biofuels playing a role in the short term before electrification develops.
However, where the switchover comes and what the government’s role in all this should be remain unresolved.
Hence the consultation.
The information gathered will inform the development of government future policy on non-road mobile machinery (NRMM), including the NRMM Decarbonisation Strategy that the government committed to publish in its Net Zero Growth Plan.
The call for evidence is a joint publication put out shortly before Christmas by the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ), the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Department for Transport (DfT) that seeks information to inform the strategy.
It wants to learn all about how NRMM is currently used across different sectors of the economy; what efficiency measures, process changes, and fuel switching technologies might be required to decarbonise NRMM; what issues may affect the development and deployment of NRMM decarbonisation options; and whether existing policies are sufficient to decarbonise NRMM in line with net zero.
It also wants to know whether the policy principles of the government’s Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy should also apply in relation to determining whether there is a case for further government intervention to support NRMM decarbonisation.
JCB chairman Lord Bamford, not normally considered a massive advocate of government intervention, wants as many people from the industry as possible to respond to the consultation, suggesting that it should not be left to the markets to determine the best technologies for powering off-road machinery.
Lord Bamford said: “The call for evidence is a crucial milestone that should be taken very seriously by everyone who is affected, from trade associations to owners and users of non-road mobile machinery. This is a historic landmark for many industries, particularly the construction and agricultural sectors which JCB has supplied for nearly 80 years. It is vital everyone affected engages in this process to help determine which technologies are appropriate to achieve a net zero future. In JCB’s case, we will highlighting the important role that hydrogen will play alongside electric technology for smaller products.”
The consultation runs until 26th March 2024 and can be found at www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/non-road-mobile-machinery-decarbonisation-options
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