LIFE-NEEVE PROJECT
Preamble
Transport is one of the human activities with the greatest impact on air pollution. In 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported that outdoor air pollution, currently dominated by very fine particles with a diameter of 2.5 µm or less, emitted largely by motor vehicle traffic, causes the deaths of 4 million people worldwide each year, mainly due to its effects on the cardiopulmonary organs.
According to a recent report by the European Environment Agency (EEA) on health and the environment, more than 400,000 premature deaths occur in the EU each year due to air pollution. In addition, the EU Commission has estimated the annual economic cost of air pollution at at least €330 billion. This has led to the ‘EU Action Plan: Towards Zero Pollution of Air, Water and Soil’:
- Improve air quality to reduce the number of premature deaths caused by air pollution by 55%.
- Improve water quality by reducing waste, plastic litter in the sea (by 50%) and microplastics released into the environment (by 30%).
- Reduce by 25% the number of ecosystems in the EU where air pollution threatens biodiversity.
In order to protect air quality, European regulations (EURO) are being introduced to regulate pollutant emission limits for transport (e.g. EU 2018/1832). The application of strict emissions regulations and the growth of electric vehicles mean that more attention must be paid to non-exhaust emissions (NEE) from road traffic.
Objective, Research Method and Contribution
LIFE-NEEVE’s overall mission is to address the above situation and provide information, methods and tools to reduce particle emissions.
The main technological objective of the NEEVE project is to design, develop and demonstrate innovative techniques and methods for measuring and reducing non-exhaust emissions (particles and microplastics) from vehicle/road elements (brakes, tyres and pavements).
To achieve the overall objectives, the NEEVE consortium plans to characterise, design and develop real-time on-board measurement systems for vehicles to measure and monitor non-exhaust particles, such as particle mass (e.g. PM10, PM2.5), particle number (PN), size and distribution, chemical analysis, as well as morphological analysis with electron microscopy. In addition, the NEEVE consortia will design, develop and test less polluting vehicle/road components (brake pads/discs, tyres and pavements) in real-world pilot demonstrations to minimise particle and microplastic emissions from the braking system and tyre-pavement interactions.
Some of the new components, such as brake pads/discs and new pavements, will be offered commercially.
ICER Brakes will actively collaborate and play a key role in achieving the objectives of the Life NEEVE project.
Main tasks:
- ICER will supply standard brake pads and discs to carry out an initial study of emissions from vehicle brakes.
- ICER will also develop a new friction material that significantly reduces these emissions.
- Similarly, ICER will propose a disc treatment in line with the material developed, which will also reduce particle emissions from this element.
With this project, ICER reaffirms its commitment to innovation and sustainability, working to develop effective solutions for reducing emissions. In this way, ICER and the other partners in the NEEVE project are leading the way towards a cleaner and safer future for all, convinced that, with the implementation of these technologies, we will achieve a significant impact on improving air quality and protecting the environment.
Project partners
The NEEVE consortium consists of 10 partners:
- Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), del Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, del Gobiernos de España.
- Centro Tecnológico de Construcción (CTCON).
- CHM, Obras e Infraestructuras S.A.
- Horiba Europe GmbH.
- ICER BRAKES S.A.
- Paudire Innova.
- RDT Ingenieros Madrid, S.L.
- Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI).
- Universidad de Sevilla.
- Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche.
