ERA to launch new energy transition project

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The European Rental Association (ERA) is to launch a handbook on the energy transition in 2025 as part of a wider project on the subject. 

Describing the Energy Transition Project as a “significant step toward advancing decarbonisation of the rental industry”, the association said it aims to develop a “cohesive handbook offering numerous strategies to face existing challenges with the process of the energy transition towards electrification and alternative fuels solutions.”

As part of this, it has contracted specialist consultancy EY to engage with OEMs, rental companies, customers, users and public authorities to create a “truly collaborative study.”

The Energy Transition Project is built around four essential objectives and will offer a comprehensive roadmap.

The objectives include a study of current trends in batteries and infrastructure to articulate the rental industry standards needs and identity training needs of rental companies in this area.

ERA said that it will also deliver recommendation to equipment manufacturers and to public authorities on standardisation actions.

Guidance on energies will summarise the range of alternative energy options and will also identify the most appropriate type of energy in a piece of equipment and the barriers to the alternative types of energy adoption. A separate note on the taxation of fuels, incentives and subsidies will be developed in this part of the project.

A report on customer requirements and customer value proposition will detail the challenges and opportunities of the energy transition from the customers’ point of view. The ERA said it will give recommendations to improve the accessibility and attractiveness of low carbon solutions for the customers.

It will also identify new business opportunities for rental companies related to electrification of equipment and alternative energies.

Finally, a revision of the rental total cost of ownership model will update the existing TCO model with energy related considerations, based on the conclusions of the first three phases.

The ERA said, “While the journey of the energy transition towards decarbonisation is a one that the industry inevitably needs to take, with the initiation of the ERA project, it is becoming apparent that there are many ways different and nuanced ways to get there. For example, electronification of equipment is one of them, but using alternative low emission fuels such as HVO in improved internal combustion engines will continue to be a solution where electrification is not a feasible option.

“The ERA project on energy transition will guide all stakeholders in the rental value chain through this process.”