Clean Diesel Engines and Fuel

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has successfully compiled a group of regulatory and non-regulatory standards for reducing emissions from diesel engines. Now it extends this success by creating the National Clean Diesel Campaign (NCDC). Through the implementation of varied control strategies and the aggressive involvement of national, state, and local partners, this Campaign has been set up to reduce the pollution emitted from diesel engines across the country. The challenge the NCDC has in reducing diesel emissions is developing new emissions standards for locomotive and marine diesel engines while promoting the reduction of emissions for existing diesel engines. The strategies, of course, have to be cost-effective also. NCDC participants are committed to finding innovative ways to protect human health and the environment. This means using cleaner fuels, having existing fleets retrofitted and repaired, and reducing the need of idling, among others.

Over the last five years, the EPA has brought forward a number of very successful programs all designed to reduce emissions from the existing diesel fleet. By 2014, in conjunction with state and local governments, public interest groups, and industry partners, EPA has established a goal of reducing emissions from the over 11 million diesel engines in the existing fleet. School buses were also sited as an area where diesel emission control can greatly help a susceptible population, our children. Other sectors identified where diesel engines need repair or retrofitting are seaports, construction, freight, and agriculture. Each program provides technical and financial assistance to stakeholders interested in reducing their fleets’ diesel fuel emissions effectively and efficiently.

The Agency is devoting significant efforts to ensuring the successful implementation of stringent new standards for diesel fuel and new diesel engines with proposing regulation standards which will act as the foundation of the EPA’s diesel control program.

As of June 1, 2006, refiners began producing clean ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel (ULSD) with a sulfur level that is at or below 15 parts per million (ppm) for use in highway diesel engines. Low sulfur (500 ppm) diesel fuel (LSD) for any non-road diesel engines are currently required and will be all replaced by 2010 with ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel for these machines including locomotives and marine engines.

Besides reducing emissions from the existing diesel fleet, these clean fuels will enable the use of advanced technologies on new engines. Technologies like particulate traps, capable of emission reductions of 90% and more, that are required under the new standards already, are being phased into the highway sector. These technologies plan to be phased into the non-road sector by 2011. Through the use of cleaner fuels and engines, the EPA is also working to reduce emissions from large commercial marine diesel vessels like cruise and large container ships.

Together these programs will yield enormous long-term benefits for public health and the environment. Of course, oil companies like Triple Diamond Energy Corporation will be producing the ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel besides continuing to produce the low-sulfur diesel fuel until the complete switch is made to using ULSD entirely.