TraM – Transport Model
What is TraM used for?
We use TraM to model the transformation of the transport sector towards climate neutrality. TraM models the future final energy consumption of the transport sector by mode of transport or vehicle class and energy source with a spatial resolution at NUTS-3 level and hourly temporal resolution for Europe. The modelling of road transport also includes the development of vehicle stocks. There is a model extension for modelling international air and sea traffic. The scenarios calculated with TraM provide insights into the future development of the transport sector and its vehicle stocks in Europe and serve as input for the
The following key questions can be answered with TraM:
- How will different transformation pathways of the transport sector affect the European energy system of the future?
- What role do the different modes of transport and vehicle classes play in the transformation?
- What does the ramp-up of climate-neutral, e.g. electric, cars and trucks look like in the various European countries?
- What impact will a modal shift, e.g. from road to rail, have on final energy consumption?
- How do political conditions and EU targets affect the transformation of the transport sector?
Modelling
TraM models 11 vehicle classes for road traffic – four classes each for cars and trucks, two for busses and one for motorbikes – as well as national air traffic, railways and inland waterway transport. International air and shipping traffic can be modelled by extending the model. The following energy carriers, among others, are taken into account: electricity, hydrogen, biofuels, diesel, petrol and other fossil and synthetic energy carriers such as kerosene for air traffic.
A high temporal and spatial resolution is achieved through a modular structure (see Figure 1). Starting from the status quo, the transformation module calculates the final energy consumption as well as the stocks for road transport by year, transport mode and vehicle class as well as energy carrier. The regionalization module distributes the consumption per vehicle class at NUTS-3 level. Together with the load profile module, this results in hourly load profiles by vehicle class or mode of transport and energy carrier. The spatial area covered by the analysis includes the European Union as well as Great Britain, Norway and Switzerland (EU27+3).
Figure 2 and Figure 3 show exemplary model results from the TransHyDE project. Figure 2 shows the development of final energy consumption by energy carrier and mode of transport in Europe and the EU27+3. Figure 3 shows the regionalisation of the electricity demand of the entire transport sector at NUTS-3 level.
History
The basis for TraM for Germany was created in particular in the Dynamis project and in the dissertation “Ecological Assessment of Scenarios for the Energy Supply of the German Transport Sector”. The modelling was rolled out to Europe in the eXtremOS project, from which the basic model structure and integration of the model into the FfE model landscape emerged. Extensive adjustments, particularly to the transformation module, were made in the projects Bayernplan Energie 2040 and Energiesystemanalyse – Bayern klimaneutral. Modelling with a focus on Europe as a whole was carried out in the TransHyDE project. Detailed analyses of the individual modes of transport were carried out in other projects, such as Nefton on the electrification of heavy goods transport. TraM is currently being used in particular as part of the FfE trend scenario and the Bid-EV project.
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