Cummins prepares for Stage V

New regulations for engines used in construction equipment are expected to be introduced in Europe in 2019 and 2020. The Stage V laws are designed to reduce the amount of particulate matter (PM), with a focus on ultra fine particles, and will make Europe the most stringently regulated market in the world.

According to Richard Payne, off-highway regulatory affairs director for Cummins in Europe, Stage V will require the use of diesel particulate filters (DPFs) across all engine sizes. “This will push everyone to go to diesel particulate filters. There is no other way to do it,” he said.

The final version of the Stage V laws is expected to be published in 2017, following the European Union’s drafting and decision-making process. As such, the current proposals could be amended. However, as the draft stands at the moment, there will be significant changes to the regulatory framework around engines used in off-highway equipment, including construction machinery.

Whereas Europe currently only regulates diesel engines from 19 kW to 560 kW, the new laws will cover all engine sizes and all fuel types used in off-highway equipment. The laws will cover new types of equipment such as generators, which currently fall under different requirements. There will be less flexibility, which allow engine and equipment makers to still sell ‘old stage’ engines and machines after the new laws have come into force.

However, Mr Payne said the greatest area of concern, and one where the industry is lobbying, is over provisions for replacement engines. Under current laws, machine owners can replace an engine in their equipment with the same stage model as was originally installed. The proposed Stage V laws rule out this provision, which would mean in many cases that if an engine was unrepairable, the entire machine would have to be scrapped.

“That could have real consequences for machine owners,” said Mr Payne.

Under the current proposal, Stage V will be introduced for 0 – 55kW engines and 130 kW+ engines from 1 January 2019. Requirements for 56 – 129 kW engines are expected to follow from 1 January 2020.

Intermat has seen Cummins unveil a new aftertreatment module for its engines which combines selective catalytic reduction (SCR) and a DPF in a single unit, as opposed to the current two exhaust canisters. According to the company, this will be used to meet Stage V requirements and is 60% smaller, 40% lighter and offers 20% less back pressure than its current aftertreatment systems.