Although warm mix asphalt has been around for some time, the climate impact commitment from local authorities is now driving the need for it to be the material of choice on highways. Essex Highways challenged its supply chain to pursue innovative products and services to improve sustainability in the county.

TEMPERA is the warm mix product being rolled out on the Essex Highways network by Eurovia Surfacing. Manufactured by Eurovia Roadstone, an additive enables the product to work at a lower temperature than traditional materials - it is typically supplied at temperatures 40 degrees lower than a hot equivalent.

Tempera requires less energy, and generates fewer carbon emissions, during manufacture than conventional hot mix asphalts, delivering carbon savings of up to 25%.

However, the green credentials of Tempera go beyond the manufacturing process. Because materials arrive on site at a lower temperature, the Eurovia Surfacing teams can complete the work in less time and reopen roads more quickly. The lower temperature also reduces fumes on site and is safer to handle. It also produces less steam during installation, so there are less visibility issues, particularly when it rains. The reduced temperatures throughout the process significantly decrease age-hardening, which maintains the material’s durability and improves its long-term performance. Eurovia Roadstone is continually refining the technology.

This approach forms part of our wider carbon reduction strategy, with a goal to reduce overall emissions by 40% by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

During the COVID-19 lockdown Eurovia Surfacing has laid in excess of 3,500t of warm asphalt across the highways in Essex. Because of reduced road traffic, the team have been able to mobilise and accelerate the resurfacing programme. Volumes are continuing to increase with plans to introduce low temperature technology into a wider palette of asphalt materials in the coming months. The roll out of TEMPERA has been facilitated through the Materials Innovation Group involving Essex County Council, Essex Highways, Eurovia and other supply chain partners.

We are committed to creating a greener future and are using cutting-edge technology, combined with the skills and expertise of our Technical Centre, to continually improve our products that support this. We are further developing our range of warm mix asphalt designs, whilst working towards a future where warm mix becomes the go-to product for all road surfacing.

Providing integrated solutions is a key part of Eurovia’s offer and we are embracing the opportunity to pursue and fast-track initiatives such as using warm asphalt. Not only can we deliver projects from product development through to installation with our inhouse teams, but we can also implement innovations throughout the process to reduce both our own, and our clients’ carbon footprints.

As our businesses strive for “Green Growth” and more sustainable ways of working, we have taken the opportunity to review our approach to the provision of company cars.

An all-electric, “Battery Electric Vehicle” (BEV), is now available at each grade of our benchmark car list. Alongside the introduction of electric vehicle options, we are also installing electric charging points at sites across our businesses to support all employees who choose an electric car either for company or personal use, that can be accessed by a private charging card.

As part of this change, “Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles” (PHEV) will no longer be quoted as company car but “Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicles” (MHEV), that combine a fossil fuel engine with some regenerative electric charging, will remain as these improve the fuel consumption and lower emissions on traditional diesel and electric engines.

Following a stakeholder mapping exercise, workshops and interviews have been held with key stakeholders including employees and clients.  These focussed on 4 areas: client and local government priorities and sustainability issues, future trends, supply chain (procurement process) and perception of Eurovia.

The key themes identified from the stakeholder engagement are healthy environments, healthy communities and responsible products and services.

Some of the key findings from the stakeholder analysis included energy efficiency, reducing carbon emissions and meeting environmental KPI`s in response to climate emergencies. The findings around resource productivity and circular economy were focused on resource scarcity, innovative road design and structure, youth employment, health & wellbeing. Communications on social value, community engagement and local inequality were also found to be key areas of importance.