US EPA, China’s SEPA starting diesel retrofit in Beijing

17 November 2004 | updated 19 November 2004

China’s State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) and US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched a program yesterday to examine the feasibility of retrofitting diesel fleets in Beijing with advanced emission control technologies including oxidation catalysts and particulate filters. The cooperation also covers fuel quality issues, as many of the retrofit technologies require fuels of reduced sulfur content. The program is part of a wider air and energy cooperation strategy between SEPA and the EPA.

EPA committed $250,000 and in-kind contribution in the form of work hours to this demonstration project. A committee of Chinese and US experts will developed a detailed plan for the Beijing project. It is anticipated that the program will begin with retrofitting up to 20 diesel buses with emission controls. If the demonstration is successful, wider scale diesel retrofits may be implemented in Beijing and other cities throughout China.

Beijing has been working to improve the air quality by 2008, the year of the Olympic Games. By next year, Beijing plans to implement Euro 3 emission standards and fuel requirements (350 ppm sulfur cap in diesel). This would enable a widespread use of some diesel emission control technologies, including diesel oxidation catalysts.

This is a second international diesel retrofit project by the EPA, after the Mexico grant announced in June 2004.

Source: China Daily, EPA