The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) will be remotely monitoring vehicle emissions on Abu Dhabi’s roads using the latest technology.
In collaboration with 4 Earth Intelligence Environmental Consultancy and Hager Environmental & Atmospheric Technologies of the US, EAD will be using HEAT’s patented NASA Spinoff remote-sensing system. This remote-sensing system, based on laser detectors, will measure and quantify emissions from moving vehicles in real-time. The testing phase will last for three weeks and cover six locations in Abu Dhabi.
According to EAD, with this non-invasive technology, it will be able to determine the types of gases emitted from vehicle tailpipes and the vehicle’s license plate number, which will only be used to obtain technical information about the vehicle. Personal data will not be used.
This initiative is a part of EAD’s Integrated Air Quality Management Program and will serve as a baseline for future policies and regulations, identify major emitting vehicle classes and technologies, and support the creation of effective mitigation measures. It will also provide input data for air quality modelling and enhance academic research and innovation projects.
Her Excellency Dr Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary-General of EAD, said, “This project is a major step in the right direction for us to contribute to Abu Dhabi government’s vision of the city being the most liveable in the world.”
She added, “We are always keen to use the latest advanced technology and, through remote sensing of vehicle emissions, we will be able to gather real-time data without disrupting traffic. Using the accumulated data, we will be able to devise mitigation plans and programmes so that we can reduce emissions entering the air we breathe, further improving residents’ safety and wellbeing.”
EAD will join forces with three key organisations in Abu Dhabi, namely the Abu Dhabi Police, the Department of Municipalities and Transport, and Integrated Transport Centre. This project aims to remotely monitor vehicle emissions on the roads of Abu Dhabi using advanced technology.
In line with the initiative, the Abu Dhabi Police will oversee technical vehicle information and traffic management during the remote emissions monitoring process. The DMT will grant permits for the placement of EDAR remote sensing equipment and handle all necessary approvals. The ITC will be in charge of traffic flow information and suggest suitable locations for monitoring, such as toll gates and bridges.
EAD will use this advanced technology to process collected data and work with relevant authorities to match remote sensing information with the emirate’s vehicle registration databases. The study will provide a thorough analysis of the data collected, including emissions per kilometre travelled, vehicle type, model year, and payload, which will aid in creating recommendations to reduce air pollution from vehicles.
“We are using the most advanced technology for the remote sensing of vehicle emissions in real-time and the large amount of data we will be gathering will be extremely beneficial to us as a scientific body dedicated to research, as well as to our partners specifically,” said Eng. Faisal Al Hammadi, Acting Executive Director of EAD’s Environment Quality Sector.
“Both the Department of Municipalities and Transport and the Integrated Transport Centre will benefit from the real-time data that will assist in policy-making for the reduction of emissions, as well as have baseline data and information on emissions from the current vehicle fleet in Abu Dhabi.”
Eng. Al Hammadi also highlighted that through this endeavour, the Abu Dhabi Police will have access to a comprehensive database of the current vehicle fleet characteristics and information that could help them with the enhancement of the vehicle licensing process.
Remote sensing systems use absorption spectroscopy to measure the concentration of pollutants in the exhaust of in-use vehicles without intrusive methods. The system consists of a light source positioned above the road, directing a light beam through the exhaust plumes of passing vehicles.
Each measurement lasts less than a second and provides an estimate of the pollutant concentration. The system measures nitrogen monoxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), carbon dioxide (CO2), and particulate matter (PM).
