A day of discussions on new propulsion energies in road tunnels
Nearly 120 people gathered for the technical day on new propulsion energies, organised by CETU in Bron on 11thJanuary 2024.
Vehicles powered by new energy sources, often known by the English acronym NEC (New Energy Carriers), mainly include battery-powered electric vehicles, compressed or liquefied gas vehicles and fuel cell electric vehicles. They represent a growing share of the vehicle fleet. The impact of these new propulsion energies on the operation and safety of road tunnels is increasingly raising questions from tunnel owners, operators and emergency services.
While they do not necessarily increase risks in general, these new propulsion energies can generate dangerous phenomena, particularly in underground environments. It is therefore essential to understand, prevent and deal with them as effectively as possible. Aware of this challenge, the CETU has been involved in studying these phenomena for several years, both nationally and internationally and in 2022 launched a strategic research programme dedicated to them.
In order to share the knowledge acquired to date and answer questions from the tunnelling community, the CETU organised a workshop on 11th January 2024. Nearly 120 people gathered to better understand the risks and share the main challenges associated with the presence of these new propulsion technologies in road tunnels.
A number of publications concerning the development of NEC in road tunnels are available, including a PIARC technical report on the subject, to which CETU has contributed significantly, and a CETU informative document.