Diesel

Non road diesel engine emissions

Non-road diesel engines are used in a wide variety of applications such as construction, industrial, or mining and can be significant emitters of air pollution. Examples include cranes, excavators, dozers, scrapers or heavy forklifts.
While on-road diesel engines sold in Australia are regulated to meet strict emission limits, there are no regulations or standards in place to control emissions from the non-road diesel sector. Regulated emissions limits for these engines have been enforced in US and EU since the mid-1990s, and more recently in Canada, Japan, China and India.
Non-road diesel engines and equipment emit considerably more particulate matter than petrol engines and a disproportionate amount of nitrogen oxides (NOX) which contribute to ground-level ozone formation.
 
Non-road engines study
The study to gather information and scope possible actions for non-road diesel engines in Australia was funded by NSW and the Commonwealth and managed by NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water. A report was finalised in April 2010. The study found that significant health benefits can be potentially achieved through undertaking actions to reduce emissions from non-road diesel engines and equipment.
 
Main findings of the study
The main findings of the study include:
·         The non-road sector (excluding rail and marine transport) consumes nationally a similar volume of automotive diesel oil as the on-road diesel vehicle sector.
·         National level emissions from non-road diesel are similar to those from on-road diesel engines.
·       The emissions compliance of new non-road diesel engines sold in Australia lag substantially behind international (US and EU) standards.
·         Particle emission reductions achievable nationally through compliance with latest US standards are estimated to be between 5,600 and 10,200 tonnes per annum in 2020, increasing to 7,300 to 14,100 tonnes per annum in 2030.
·         Annual health benefits associated with PM10 and NOX emissions reductions in Australia are estimated to be in the range $2.5 to $4.7 billion by 2030.
·         Non-road diesel engines are all imported into Australia.
·         In the absence of national emissions standards, there is a risk that continued voluntary uptake of cleaner engines could decline in the face of cheaper, non-compliant imports, for some engine categories.