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International will meet US 2007 requirements without SCR or NOx adsorbers

15 December 2003

International Truck and Engine Corporation announced that it has established a technology path to meet 2007 emissions requirements for all its International® 2007 model year diesel engines. The products affected include International’s complete line of engines, including those used in Class 6, 7 and 8 trucks.

“It is feasible to reduce in-cylinder emissions of NOx to a level that reduces the burden on aftertreatment in meeting the 2007 federal emissions standard,” said Patrick Charbonneau, International vice president, regulatory and technology affairs. “This will allow engine aftertreatment to be less complex than initially thought.”

All engines used in International trucks for the 2007 model year will meet the federal NOx requirements without the need for selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology. SCR is an aftertreatment technology that requires the availability of urea, and its introduction into the exhaust system. International and its Class 8 engine suppliers agreed that SCR is unnecessary to meet the 2007 requirements, thanks to advances in engine and fuel technologies.

International also said it will meet the 2007 NOx standards without the use of NOx adsorber technology. Having eliminated the need for adsorbers in 2007, Charbonneau said, International will focus on the development of advanced NOx aftertreatment for 2010.

US emission standards introduce a NOx limit of 0.2 g/bhp-hr (down from the 2004 level of just above 2 g/bhp-hr), which must be fully phased-in by 2010. Over the 2007-2009 period, this NOx limit must be met in 50%, based on the manufacturer’s fleet. Manufacturers will meet this 50% requirement by certifying all their 2007-2009 engines at approximately 1.1 g/bhp-hr NOx.

Some manufacturers have been considering the use of urea-SCR (which will be used in the European Union from 2005) for meeting the US 2007 NOx requirements. The use of urea-SCR could potentially provide better fuel economy and lower operating costs than the competing technologies, such as high rate EGR. A major drawback of SCR is the necessity to establish a nationwide urea distribution infrastructure.

International brand vehicles will meet the 2007 PM emission standard (0.01 g/bhp-hr) through the use of diesel particulate filters.

Manufacturers must choose a technology path in advance of production in order to meet their standards for performance, cost effectiveness, quality, reliability, and durability. Industry technology decisions for 2007 are being finalized in December 2003, said International.

Source: Navistar