Engine makers prepared for ’07 emission regs

COLUMBUS, Ind., (Dec 17, 2003) — Engine makers Cummins Inc. and Caterpillar have announced they will meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s newest round of on-highway Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) emission reductions set for 2007.

Cummins, which received EPA approval last week for upcoming 2004 standards, will be using cooled-exhaust gas recirculation (cooled-EGR) for 2007, the same technology the company employed in its trucks to meet last year’s stringent emission requirements.

Company evaluations tested cooled-EGR, NOx adsorbers, selective catalytic reduction and other aftertreatment technologies before concluding, in the company’s opinion, that cooled-EGR and particulate filters were the right technologies for 2007 regulations in order to achieve the stringent particulate matter (PM) standards.

Caterpillar, meanwhile, has announced it too will be prepared for’07, but not with what it calls “costly and complex SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) technology.” Cat will instead build in its patented ACERT technology it used for meeting Oct. ’02 standards.

“Caterpillar, like other engine manufacturers, successfully uses SCR to reduce emissions in stationary generator sets,” Richard L. Thompson, Caterpillar group president said. “However, our engineers do not believe that SCR is the best emissions reduction technology choice in the United States for on-highway mobile applications. We encourage the EPA to remain technology neutral, and avoid mandating SCR as a future emissions reduction technology.”