City of Santiago launching diesel retrofit program

28 April 2005 | updated 29 April 2005

The city of Santiago, Chile, is launching a diesel retrofit program targeting diesel powered buses in the Transsantiago transit system. It is expected that as many as 2000 vehicles will be retrofitted with diesel particulate filters by the end of May 2006. The program is conducted with the help of Swiss expertise, with Andreas Mayer, TTM, acting as the advisor to the Chilean MTT/3CV agency which is responsible for the project.

A pilot retrofit program was carried out from July to November 2004. All filter systems evaluated during the pilot phase showed over 99% reduction of the solid fraction of diesel particulates, as determined using the Swiss VERT measurement methods. Presentations from a meeting after the conclusion of the pilot program are available from the 3CV website.

Suppliers of retrofit filter systems for the Santiago program must meet the following requirements:

• filter systems must be verified either by VERT (see the “VERT-Filterliste” on the BUWAL website) or California ARB (verified technologies);
• retrofit companies must have extended experience with bus retrofit;
• retrofit companies must establish a local company for technical support.

Approved suppliers of filter systems include HJS (TAL S.A.), HUSS (EMASA), and Engelhard (Hochschild).

To facilitate catalyst-based filter technologies, “CIUDAD plus Diesel” of ultra low sulfur content (max 50 ppm sulfur specification, with real life concentration of about 20 ppm) has been made available in the Santiago area by the government-owned oil company ENAP.

Contact: Aliosha Reinoso, 3CV