The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is awarding US$30m for clean diesel projects as part of its Diesel Emission Reduction Program, also known as DERA, designed to replace, retrofit or repower older diesel-powered engines in marine vessels, locomotives, trucks and buses.
The projects funded through these grants will address more than 11 million older diesel engines that continue to emit high levels of pollution.
In this year’s DERA competition, winners were selected based on a proposal’s potential for maximising health and environmental benefits by targeting areas that have significant air quality issues. New this year is an increased funding availability per award that will allow EPA to target larger engines used in marine vessels and locomotives.
DERA was enacted in 2005 and since it was first funded in FY2008, the EPA has awarded over 500 grants across the US. The winners of the latest awards are available at the EPA’s website.
The EPA’s grant announcement was welcomed by Allen Schaeffer, the Executive Director of the Diesel Technology Forum, a non-profit national organisation dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of diesel engines, fuel and technology, who said, “DERA has been one of the most bipartisan and successful clean air programs in the past decade.
“The combination of new clean diesel technology and ultra-low sulphur diesel fuel has helped to reduce diesel emissions to near zero levels for new buses, trucks and off-road equipment. Now the older engines that continue to power our economy will also benefit from the upgraded engines and filters provided by DERA.”
