Omnitek Engineering announced it has signed a contract with a European customer to develop a heavy-duty 13-litre natural gas engine for Class 8 trucks and certify the engine to EURO 6 emissions standards.
The development contract includes a multi-year supply agreement for Omnitek’s proprietary components. Additional terms were not disclosed.
The new 13-litre 450 hp natural gas engine being developed will initially be utilized to power a fleet of approximately 1,000 new Class 8 trucks, scheduled to commence service in 2017.
“The ability of Omnitek’s technology to achieve EURO 6 emissions certification standards, which is a competitive advantage and not easily achieved, has not gone unnoticed in Europe. In addition, the availability of a 13-litre 450 hp EURO 6 heavy-duty natural gas engine, coupled with the build-out of natural gas fuelling infrastructure, should further accelerate deployment of natural gas heavy-duty trucks in Europe, as well as other world regions that require Euro 6 certification,” said Werner Funk, president and chief executive officer of Omnitek Engineering Corp.
Funk highlighted the low-cost and clean-burning benefits of natural gas – particularly as oil prices begin to increase and emissions policies address the 200-nation “Paris Agreement on Climate Change” that was recently signed. “CO2, NOx and black carbon emissions from diesel engines, potent greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, are abated when using natural gas, and our technology offers countries around the globe a viable and proven solution,” he said.
He emphasized that even with relatively low oil prices, the company is still in active discussions with several domestic fleet operators. Funk added he anticipates certain key projects commencing in the near future, as fleet managers have now completed analyzing the economic benefits of a pay-back period of less than two years for diesel-to-natural gas engine conversions and also recognize the environmental considerations and related compliance issues with meeting emissions mandates.
