User:Andrei.varban/Cenex


 * For the brand of gasoline, see CHS Inc.

Cenex is a delivery agency, established with support from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to promote UK'sLow carbon transport market development. Cenex’s principal focus is on catalysing market transformation projects linking technology providers and end users. As part of this work, it runs a number of programmes for UK national and regional government.

History
Cenex was originally established in 2005 with support from the Automotive Unit of the Department of Trade and Industry (now the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills). Cenex was set up by industry members as a first Centre of Excellence for Low Carbon and Fuel Cell technologies.

The concept of a national Centre of Excellence for low carbon & fuel cell technologies arose from the recommendations made by the Automotive Innovation & Growth Team (AIGT), sponsored by the UK Department of Trade & Industry. The AIGT brought together leading figures from the UK Automotive industry to identify and address the issues likely to have the greatest impact on the sector’s long-term profitability and productivity. Members of the AIGT highlighted the need for the motor industry in the UK to respond competitively to the challenges posted by a transition to low carbon & fuel cell technologies that is already underway and foresaw the creating of a cross-sectorial Centre of Excellence as the ideal means by which to catalyse innovation in this emerging industry sectors.

Governing board
The Cenex management team reports into a Board of Directors consisting of representatives from a core group of member organisations. These members cover the broad cross-section of UK industry interested in low carbon and fuel cell technologies and have played an active role in defining the structure, aims, objectives and priorities for the centre.

Events
Cenex has organised several events that promote sustainability and low carbon vehicle transportation. The most important ones are Low Carbon Vehicle Events(annually, 2008–Present) the Hybrid and Electric Vehicles Conferences (annually, 2011, 2013) and Sustainable Efficient Road Transport Event (2011).

The Low Carbon Vehicle Event (LCV)
The Low Carbon Vehicle Event is an annual automotive event organised at Millbrook Proving Ground,UK in September.

Key features of LCV include :
 * A low and ultra low carbon vehicle and technology exhibition showcasing the innovative R&D from the UK's leading automotive technology companies and universities
 * A low carbon vehicle ride & drive where visitors can experience driving or being driven in the latest low and ultra low carbon vehicles
 * A Conference and Technical Seminar Programme run in parallel over the two days of the event covering themes in the development of technology, markets and policy influencing low and ultra low carbon vehicle Research, Development, Demonstration and Deployment
 * A Business Exchange where visitors have the opportunity to book meetings and interact with UK and International

LCV Event aims to :
 * Provide a showcase for UK capabilities, positioning the UK as a leader in LCV technology development and exploitation
 * Build organisations’ awareness and confidence to adopt Low Carbon Vehicle technologies in vehicles and in fleet operations

LCV 2013 was the 6th edition and was organised at Millbrook Proving Ground. It reported 1962 total visitors, 157 exhibitors, 79 vehicles and 16 seminar sessions.

The Hybrid and Electric Vehicles Conference
The Hybrid and Electric Vehicles Conference (HEVC) has been organised by Cenex to raise awareness, stimulate debate and formulate future strategy through a combination of presentations and workshops. Cenex fully organised the 2011th edition at the International Manufacturing Centre at Warwick University on Wednesday 18th and Thursday 19 May 2011. The the following two editions were organised soley by The Institution of Engineering and Technology (EIT).

The Hybrid and Electric Vehicles Conference 2013 will be organised by both EIT and Cenex at 15 Hatfields, London on the 6–7 November 2013(EIT).

Sustainable Efficient Road Transport Event
SERT 2011 provided a platform to profile UK capability and expertise to an international audience, and the opportunity to engage with key decision makers and policy shapers.

Through a series of interactive seminars, panel discussions, technology showcases, workshops and site visits, SERT 2011 will addressed questions related to the whole-life cycle environmental impact, of alternative road transport technologies, compared with conventional vehicles. The event focused on areas such as advanced materials, efficient powertrain, energy storage, power electronics and Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), and the role they can play in reducing environmental impact.

SERT 2011 was part of the Sustainable World 2011 programme supported by UKTI. The SERT 2011 programme was developed in cooperation with both the Knowledge Transfer Partnerships,ITS-UK, Technology Strategy Board, the UK Automotive Council and The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Programmes
Cenex acts as a “delivery agent” in the management and delivery of a number of programmes for National Government clients including the Department for Transport (United Kingdom) and the Technology Strategy Board. These programmes assist with low carbon vehicle Research, Development and Demonstration as well as alternative fuels infrastructure deployment. Cenex has a team of automotive and low carbon experts providing consultancy and programme delivery services for low carbon projects.

The portfolio of consultancy services includes:fleet carbon reduction advice and tender support, strategic consultancy, vehicle trial and analysis support, project and programme management. Cenex activities and knowledge base cover the whole range of low carbon vehicle technologies, infrastructure requirements and environmental performance.

Transport Knowledge Transfer Network
Funded by the Technology Strategy Board, the Knowledge Transfer Networks provides a single national overarching network for the UK road, rail and marine communities. The Transport KTN aims to promote collaboration, best practice and knowledge sharing by bringing together a variety of stakeholders, including businesses (suppliers and customers), universities, research and technology organisations, the finance community and other intermediaries.

The KTN combines : https://ktn.innovateuk.org/web/transportktn/overview Within the Transport KTN Cenex is focusing on investigating the potential for cross-sector synergies in energy efficiency.
 * A web portal providing technology, market and policy-related content on UK and international developments
 * Networking events to bring together communities in order to promote technology transfer and innovation

Niche Vehicle Programme
The Niche Vehicle programme provides support and grant funding to groups of companies active in the niche vehicle sector in the UK. .It promotes development and application of new technology to take advantage of market opportunities for lower carbon vehicles. The programme brings together vehicle manufacturers, system suppliers, technology companies and universities, in order to collaborate in the innovative use of technology in low-volume vehicle production.

The Niche Vehicle Network is an independent association of niche vehicle manufacturers, specialist technology companies and supply chain, based in or near to, the West Midlands. Established in 2005, the Network is free to join and all events, free to attend/exhibit. Any relevant company can apply but members must be accepted by the NVN Executive Board before being granted full access to all member benefits & this member only website. The Niche Vehicle programme is funded by Advantage West Midlands & the Technology Strategy Board using the Research Development and Innovation Framework. The programme is managed by Cenex, Centre of Excellence in Low Carbon & Fuel Cell Technologies and grant funding decisions are made by a NVN independent private sector executive board and 3 nominated Technology Strategy Board assessors.

Plugged-In Midlands
Plugged-In Midlands (PiM) combines the roll-out of electric vehicle infrastructure with the development of regional capabilities associated with the electrification of road transport. Managed by Cenex, the project is one of eight ‘Plugged-in Places’ projects supported by OLEV, the Office for Low Emission Vehicles.

The project will develop a regional network of more than 600 electric vehicle Charging Points across both the East and West Midlands that will be fully compatible with the Charging Points being installed across the country under the wider scheme.

Project Aims :


 * To provide the infrastructure that will support the early market for electric vehicles that we expect to see developing over the next few years with the Government’s Plug-in Car Grant.
 * PiM will provide the opportunity to test out different approaches for recharging electric vehicles. The lessons learnt from these different approaches will inform future strategy and influence the development of a national charging infrastructure, a mandate for OLEV set out in the Coalition Agreement.

Low Carbon Vehicle Procurement Programme (LCVPP)
Cenex, the UK's Centre of Excellence for Low Carbon and Fuel Cell Technologies, is the Department for Transport's delivery partner for the Low Carbon Vehicle Procurement Programme (LCVPP). Announced in the May 2007 Energy White Paper, the programme aims to accelerate the introduction of lower carbon technologies onto the UK vehicle market, with the ultimate objective of reducing overall carbon emissions from the vehicle fleet.

The programme focuses on the development of lower-carbon and all-electric vans in the first phase with other vehicle types being considered in subsequent phases. The programme provides an opportunity for vehicle manufacturers and suppliers to demonstrate products in high-profile public sector fleets, while allowing public sector organisations to trial low-carbon vehicles in real-world conditions and reduce their carbon footprint without incurring a cost penalty.

Consultancy
To support our diverse customer base Cenex has used its leading-edge low carbon vehicle expertise to develop a new approach to Fleet Carbon Reduction. This business support package uses our unique Fleet Carbon Reduction Tool (FCRT): a bespoke simulation tool, backed by our real world experience, which can quantify the environmental and economic impact of deploying low carbon vehicles. Cenex has released a number of reports and guidance documents on low carbon vehicles and fuels which are available for download from this section: http://www.cenex.co.uk/resources

Fleet Carbon Reduction Guide & Tool
Cenex has developed Fleet carbon reduction guidance and a Fleet carbon reduction tool to help managers and operators make informed decisions on the best way to reduce carbon in their vehicle fleet.

Cenex’s Fleet carbon reduction tool allows accurate estimation of the carbon reduction performance of different transport fuels and technology options. The vehicle duty and application are characterised, and this data is input into a sophisticated simulation model. This model outputs whole-life cost and greenhouse gas emission predictions relevant to each low carbon technology option for your fleet. The model therefore yields quantitative information to feed into the decision-making process for choosing low carbon technology options which can reduce and/or eliminate the need for trialling some technology options in the field.

Cenex Biomethane Toolkit & Biomethane Calculator
The Cenex biomethane toolkit has been designed to give local authorities and others information about what is needed to produce and use biomethane as a vehicle fuel. It contains ten Topic Sheets on the various aspects of biomethane production and use, which allows you to assess the potential viability of biomethane in your situation and a directory of suppliers. The toolkit will allow users to understand biomethane as a vehicle fuel and scope out the potential viability for use in their specific circumstances.

Greenwich Council commissioned Cenex to analyse the Greenwich 2008/2009 vehicle fleet data and proposed waste collection profile using the Cenex Biomethane Toolkit and gas yield calculator. The purpose of the analysis was to ascertain the amount of vehicle fuel, revenue, carbon dioxide (CO2) and air quality savings that could be realised through the introduction of a local Anaerobic Digestion (AD) facility to produce biomethane from the Council’s proposed organic waste collection service for use as a vehicle fuel. The Cenex Biomethane Calculator has been designed to give an indicative production quantity of biomethane and an indicative revenue value in both combined heat and power (CHP) and vehicle applications. This allows for a quantitative decision to be made on whether a more detailed engineering and financial analysis for a particular AD programme should be progressed.

Vehicle Deployment Trials
Cenex has the capability to manage the deployment of low carbon vehicles within a specified fleet and to provide an independent verification of the ownership cost and emission savings achieved during the trial and future fleet deployment .The trial will aim to establish and disseminate user and fleet managers’ attitudes towards, and experiences with deployed EVs together with technical, economic and emission performance of the vehicles.

Smart Move Electric Vehicle Trial & Smart ED Project
Cenex worked with Mercedes-Benz UK and Smart GmbH on a market trial of 100 Smart ED (electric drive) electric cars in the UK. The first of the vehicles was delivered to Coventry City Council on 21 December 2007. Cenex itself trialled four of the vehicles and provided the project with £100,000 of direct funding to support the development and testing of the electric drive and battery system.

Following the success of the first Smart ED market trial, Mercedes-Benz UK released its latest model Smart ED with improved range and power delivery characteristics in 2010 for market trials. MB UK plans to go into full series production from 2012. Cenex is continuing to support the deployment of the Smart ED vehicles through fleet integration, performance and user perception studies as part of the Smart Move project.

The Smart Move trial is a suite of studies conducted between September 2009 and April 2011 and funded by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. The approach adopted by Cenex follows technology from the laboratory to the test track through to real-world fleet deployment. This has yielded a comprehensive and unique evidence base for low carbon vehicle performance.

Coca-Cola Biomethane HGV Trial
Driven by a desire to produce a step change reduction in fleet carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) contracted Cenex to evaluate and compare the emissions, fuel consumption, economics, reliability and operability of a 26 tonne Iveco Stralis gas vehicle with that of a diesel Stralis vehicle. The trial vehicles - one operating solely on biomethane gas, and one diesel powered – were highly comparable. Both were new registrations at trial commencement and met Enhanced Environmentally friendly Vehicle emission standards.

On conclusion of the trial CCE invested in a fleet of 14 gas Iveco Stralis vehicles and a gas station which is due to be operational at the Enfield depot in June 2012. The new CCE gas fleet will consume approximately 168 tonnes of biomethane saving over 300 tonnes of CO2, 1590 kgs of NOx and 33 kgs of PM emissions per annum.

Camden Biomethane Van Trial
Cenex offered financial and evaluation support to Camden Biomethane Van Trial. Veolia Environmental Services operated and monitored the performance of the vehicles on a street cleansing round in the London Borough of Camden. Gasrec supplied both the biomethane from their upgrading facility at an Albury landfill site, and a biomethane fuelled Iveco Daily. Iveco, the vehicle manufacturer provided technical support to the trial.

Fleet Tender Advice
Westminster City Council commissioned Cenex as green fleet consultants to assess operational, air quality and carbon dioxide emission impacts of low carbon fleets proposed in tenders for the Westminster waste collection contract. Detailed reports and recommendations emerging from the scoring process were provided to Westminster according to its procurement deadlines which were used by the council to select the successful bid for its waste collection contract.

Regional hydrogen strategy formulation
Cenex works with organisations to develop strategies and implementation plans to exploit the economic and environmental benefits offered by the integraton of hydrogen into the future energy system. Past clients of this work include Bristol City Council and the East Midlands Development Agency.