New EU emissions regulations pose challenges for the fork lift truck market

New EU emissions standards for non-road diesel engines, including forklift trucks, come into force this year. BITA’s Technical Consultant, Bob Hine outlines the implications.

In 1996 the first European legislation to regulate emissions of Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), Particulate Matter (PM), Carbon Monoxide and Hydrocarbons from non-road diesel engines (known as Stage I) came into force – the beginning of a five stage process.

This year sees the latest EU regulation come into force, Stage IV. This aims to bring EU emissions legislation into line with the latest US regulation (known as Tier 4) to reflect the global nature of non-road products. This harmonisation of emission regulations is broadly welcomed as it spreads the cost of developing new products over the largest possible geographical market, assisting with high development costs in a market with relatively low production volumes.

Under EU Stage IV manufacturers of non-road diesel engines are required to reduce PM exhaust emissions by 90 per cent and NOx exhaust emissions by 45 per cent compared to the Stage IIIB standards they replace (which are equivalent to the US Tier 4i [Interim] standards). Engines are also required to use Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel.

More demanding still, to meet the Stage IV Final Emission Regulations (which are equivalent to US Tier 4 [final] regulations), NOx emissions must be reduced by an additional 80%. These are stretching targets and present real challenges for engine manufacturers which are utilising two main technologies to reduce NOx and PM to the required levels; each with its plusses and minuses.

The first technology is known as Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR). SCR injects a reagent into the exhaust gas flow and mixes in a catalytic converter, which reduces or neutralises NOx to harmless nitrogen and oxygen. The reagent is a 32.5 per cent urea and 67.5 per cent water mixture known commercially as Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF).

The second technology, known as Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR), dilutes the amount of oxygen in the combustion chamber by mixing the intake air charge with cooled exhaust gas. The result lowers the combustion peak temperature, which reduces the formation and amount of NOx for engine optimisation. As this lower temperature increases Particulate Matter a diesel particulate filter has to be used.

So when will this new regulation begin to ‘bite’? For engine manufacturers supplying original equipment manufacturers there’s a two year period within which engines produced prior to the market placement date specified in the legislation can still be sold.

However discussions are on going to combine what is known as the ‘sell off’ with the ‘Flex’ allowance periods for engine sales, to avoid the stockpiling of engines. It is hoped a final decision on this will be made by the European Parliament this summer, with publication of the Directive sometime in September.

This means that there will still be plenty of compliant trucks on the market when the new legislations comes into force, particularly where engine power doesn’t exceed 56kW, as those engines complying with Stage IIIB regulations remain compliant up to 2016. And of course the Stage IV regulations only apply to new trucks, they are not retrospective, so existing trucks will still be able to operate.

And of course then we move on to Stage V, setting even tougher limits from January 2017 for application from January 2019.

Everyone wants to see cleaner more efficient engines and lower emissions, but given how stretching the latest legislation is, regulators need to think hard about what comes next. If new fork lift trucks become unattractive to the purchaser because of high first cost, high continuing cost of ownership or reduced functionality in comparison to maintaining existing equipment, the consequences for the sales of new forklift trucks could be serious.

For more information visit  http://www.dft.gov.uk/vca/enforcement/non-road-mobile-mach.asp