Clearing the road for eco-cars in Moscow

As Moscow's streets almost literally crack under the pressure of the moving masses, local government says that new, environmentally-friendly public transport is almost ready to hit the roads.

Moscow's roads are full to the bursting point with cars, busses, and trucks all pumping out fumes harmful to both the environment and people.

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As representatives from all over the world gather in Copenhagen to discuss climate change and debate its origins, the scientific and industrial department of the Moscow government seems ready to recognize man's hand in the warming of the Earth and is trying to find a way to tackle it.

“It has been established that global warming is a direct consequence of pollution, and automobile transport or car fuel emissions are the main pollutants in big Russian cities – about 80 percent,” said Evgeny Balashov, Deputy Director of the city’s Department of Industrial Policy. “The only remedy to this problem, as I see it, is a transition to alternative, ecologically clean fuels.”

The plans are ambitious. The city’s government is hoping to make 25% of public transport emission free by 2012. The first vehicles to hit Moscow streets powered by clean fuel will be mini-busses – “marshrutkas,” as they are called in Russia. Some will be solely electric but others will be testing out a new hydrogen fuel cell, which could revolutionize the way people travel round the city.

Balashov outlined the plan: “First of all we are planning to start off this program in Moscow, and hope to spread it to the rest of Russia by the years 2013-2015.”

The revolutionary new engine that is going to be powering the emission free vehicles was created by the Kompomash Corporation in Russia.

“We’ve developed an engine of a new generation which consists of a motor wheel and impulse condensers which first consume the braking energy and then set the engine in motion. That makes the whole cycle much cheaper,” explained the company’s General Manager, Anatoly Dolgolaptev.

As good as the plan sounds to have zero emission vehicles on Moscow's roads, the reality is that recycling and green policies aren't popular among Russians. But while Muscovites might soon be able to breathe more easily, may they also end up paying more. Balashov believes that better education is needed if Russia is to cut its emissions.

“The people, their leaders and the country should have the will to change this approach,” he said. “Society hasn’t yet woken up to this problem. It hasn’t yet realized that we can drive nature to a state when some ecological processes will become irreversible. There is such a will in Moscow. Of course that is not enough in proportion to the rest of Russia. But at least we have a chance to model green technologies in a big city such as Moscow.”

Nina Korobova from the Russian Academy of Sciences notes that the project will require investment into new cars and special stations to recharge the engines. However, the end result may well be worth the price.

“This problem must be tackled,” she said, “because Moscow is one of the most polluted cities.”

With the Russian capital choking under car emissions at the moment, it seems hard to believe that in under just two of years its citizens might see a massive drop in the amount of fuel being put into the air. But if this project goes as planned, this might become a reality.