Highways England paves net zero way with low carbon asphalt

The company will prioritise a type of asphalt that is predicted to reduce emissions by up to 15% compared to conventional ones

Highways England has today announced it will accelerate the use of lower-carbon asphalt across its supply chain.

The so-called warm mix asphalts (WMAs) are produced at temperatures 40°C lower than traditional asphalt.

Compared to conventional hot mix asphalts, the technology is predicted to bring carbon savings of up to 15%.

It is estimated that if all the UK production switched to WMAs, it would save around 61,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, the equivalent of cutting around 300 million miles of car journeys.

Malcolm Dare, Executive Director of Commercial and Procurement at Highways England, said: “This is a big step forward for Highways England that allows us to not only achieve huge efficiency savings but also reduce carbon as we strive for net zero.

“Carbon reduction, along with ensuring our roads provide smooth, safe and efficient journeys for motorists, are key and something we are constantly striving to improve for generations to come.”

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