Eminox delivers first UK approved Stage V/5 equivalent retrofit solution to reduce construction equipment emissions
Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, UK: Eminox today announced that it has successfully delivered the UK’s first Non-Road Mobile Machinery (NRMM) retrofit emissions control system for construction equipment. This gives the construction industry a cost-effective solution to meet both London’s NRMM Low Emission Zone regulations, which come into force from March 2021, as well as comply with increasingly strict emissions standards on major infrastructure projects around the UK.
The advanced technology has been approved to meet Stage V/5 equivalent emissions standards for construction plant, improving air quality and opening up major new markets for the UK company.
Approval comes in time for the increased monitoring and enforcement of equipment used on construction sites, in and around London, with the six-month exemption from tighter standards coming to an end on 28 February 2021. To achieve compliance Eminox used its expertise to develop a retrofit solution to a Junttan PM20 piling rig currently deployed on the HS2 project through Balfour Beatty. This was tested and validated by Imperial College London (Centre for Low Emission Construction) and Emission Analytics and has now been accredited by the Energy Savings Trust; the only UK government recognised approval body for emissions standards.
Extensive tests prove the solution is the first retrofit exhaust aftertreatment system (EATS) in the UK to meet Stage V/5 standards. It reduced harmful emissions of nitrous oxide (NOx) by over 80%, hydrocarbons by more than 95%, carbon monoxide by over 75% and particulate matter (PM) by more than 99%.
Using the 42-years of engineering expertise, including the development a range of Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) products for Volvo and Stage V/5 technologies for Liebherr, Eminox was able to create a retrofit solution for the NRMM market for the first time.
The combination of the requirement to comply with more stringent emissions regulations, the high cost of replacing existing plant and with the importance for businesses to manage capital expenditure whilst meeting Stage V/5 compliance means that retrofit exhaust aftertreatment solutions provide major economic benefits to the construction industry.
Given that payback on construction equipment can be 10-15 years due to its high purchase cost and intermittent use, construction and plant hire companies plant can now quickly and cost-effectively upgrade machinery to achieve stricter emissions legislation at a fraction of the cost of buying new. All of this means that Eminox is now able to target major new retrofit opportunities, worldwide, across the construction industry
“There is a growing need to improve air quality on and around construction sites, demonstrated by the extension period coming to an end in March 2021 for London’s NRMM Low Emission Zone and the UK government’s drive towards a net zero carbon future,”
“Eminox continues to support companies in reducing emissions and there is now a cost-effective and fully approved option available to the construction industry thanks to our work with HS2 and Balfour Beatty.”
James Thorpe, Senior Sales Manager, Eminox.
On-road emissions control systems typically use air from the existing braking system, but this approach is impossible with piling rigs and similar plant as they operate hydraulically. To overcome this challenge Eminox developed a completely new airless system using its end-to-end capabilities to scan the equipment, model, design and prototype the solution and then fit and validate it – all in under six months. Going forward this will mean a new development could now take a matter of weeks rather than months and fitment times as little as 40-man hours.