Stage V engines inland shipping
Total solution from Caterpillar for all capacities
September 2022, by Ben Timmerman - The inland shipping industry’s ambitions in the context of the Green Deal are significant, with the ultimate ambition of virtually emission-free and climate-neutral inland shipping by 2050. The new EU Stage V legislation plays an important role in realising this ambition. The same can be said of Caterpillar’s total solution for inland shipping, the EU Stage V system
Stage V and the temporary subsidy scheme in brief
EU Stage V legislation stipulates that from 1 January 2022, only Stage V certified diesel engines may be installed in new-build vessels. From 1 October 2022, this will also be mandatory for the re-engineering of existing marine diesel engines.
A subsidy scheme has been created to encourage voluntary re-engineering and not to wait until the engine breaks down. This means you can recoup 40 to 60% of the investment, with a maximum amount of €200,000 per ship. If you wait until the engine is worn out and has to be replaced anyway, you will not receive a subsidy. This ‘Temporary subsidy scheme for making inland vessels more sustainable’ will expire on 1 January 2026.
Caterpillar’s EU Stage V system for all capacities
Stage V is about the total engine installation of the ship, not just the propulsion engine. With its EU Stage V system, Caterpillar offers a total solution, which is available for all capacities, from 60 to 1,350 kW. As such, Caterpillar is the only one to offer a Stage V total programme.
The engines are tested and certified in the Caterpillar plants in America and England and are supplied to Pon Power complete. The propulsion engine, auxiliary engines, generator sets and the exhaust gas after-treatment installation also developed by Caterpillar, including all necessary cabling, a Diesel Particular Filter (DPF), Selective Catalytic Reduction system (SCR), DEF pump and dosing system. It is a single product with a single warranty certificate.
A central computer on the engine operates the entire system, which ensures maximum efficiency in the combustion and the cleanest engine performance. For constant monitoring and remote insight into current fuel consumption, alarms, load factors and expected maintenance, you can use Remote Fleet Vision.
In short, Caterpillar supplies everything you need and you have the convenience of a single point of contact and service: Pon Power, the official Caterpillar dealer in the Netherlands.
Overview Cat EU Stage V engines
“You will receive emission label A1 if you fill up with 100% HVO in an existing Caterpillar engine installation that meets the Stage V emission requirements. HVO can be used without modification in Caterpillar engines manufactured after 1990.”
What makes Caterpillar’s Stage V engines unique
What makes Caterpillar’s Stage V engines so unique is that they are compatible with biofuels, cover the entire power range for inland shipping and score top marks for the Inland Shipping Emission Label. This performance label, which came into effect in 2022, consists of two components, namely climate emissions (CO2) and air quality (NOx, PM). It gives a certain rating to the emission performance, which also recognises modified engines that meet the EU Stage V emission requirements.
You will receive emission label A1 if you fill up with 100% HVO in an existing Caterpillar engine installation that meets the Stage V emission requirements, because it means fossil greenhouse gas emissions fall by 97%. HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) can be used without modification in Caterpillar engines produced after 1990 and is of just as good quality as the fossil fuel EN590. HVO is more expensive than EN590, but does not require any modification of the engine or fuel tanks. If you have a Caterpillar, you can switch to it instantly. Several Cat engines worldwide have been running on 100% HVO for many years, as have all EN590 and HVO ratios.
The letters A to E stand for the amount of harmful greenhouse gas emissions, such as CO2 and methane. The numbers 0 to 5 represent the emissions that deteriorate air quality and health, such as soot, carbon monoxide and nitrogen. The (provisional) voluntary labelling system has been introduced to encourage greening and make it more visible.
You will achieve A0 only when sailing fully electric with batteries and/or green hydrogen and fuel cells, because in that case, no combustion engine is needed. However, the investment involved is so large that it cannot be compared with a new or existing ship that meets all Stage V emission requirements.
Shippers are expected to start using this labelling system when distributing jobs. The better your label, the more cargo you can transport. In addition, the Central Commission for Navigation on the Rhine (CCR) is investigating the possibility of a mandatory contribution to a sustainability fund. The amount of this contribution is related to the sustainability level of the inland vessel. Entrepreneurs who want to make their ships more sustainable can then appeal to this support fund.
Sustainable future for inland shipping
You do not only achieve label A1 with a Caterpillar Stage V engine installation plus 100% HVO. This is also possible with the alternative fuel green methanol.
A small, but growing, percentage of methanol is produced from renewable raw materials such as biomass or by means of green electricity, instead of natural gas. You can use this to make hydrogen first and combine it in a catalyst with captured CO2 or CO2 released from biomass. This methanol is called green methanol, because this method creates a carbon cycle, the natural cycle of carbon between the earth’s surface and the atmosphere.
Caterpillar is currently developing methanol engines. The first pilot engines should be in the field in 2024. Caterpillar tries to keep them as simple as possible and is testing various injection systems to get a good picture of all the advantages and disadvantages of the different techniques.
Methanol retrofit packages are being developed for existing engines. A retrofit to methanol is interesting because green methanol, just like 100% HVO, is a CO2-free renewable fuel. This gives you a better emissions label, which rises to A1 with a simple after-treatment installation from Caterpillar.
At the time of publication of this article, eight new-build vessels are equipped with Stage V engines from Caterpillar and several new-build projects are already scheduled for 2023. These new Stage V combustion engines are expected to last at least as long as the previous generations of engines. So you are talking about an average of 30 years or 100,000 operating hours. Combine that with the environmentally friendly HVO biofuel and you’ll soon realise inland shipping will be sustainably very soon in the future!
Facts & figures
2050
The ultimate ambition is virtually emission-free and climate-neutral inland shipping by 2050.
01/01/22
As of 01/01/22, only Stage V certified diesel engines may be installed in new-build vessels.
01/01/26
The ‘Temporary subsidy scheme for making inland vessels more sustainable’ will expire on 01/01/2026.
60 - 1,350
With its EU Stage V system, Caterpillar offers a total solution, for all capacities, from 60 to 1,350 kW.
100%
You will receive emission label A1 if you fill up with 100% HVO in an existing Caterpillar engine installation that meets Stage V.
8
At the time of publication of this article, eight new-build vessels are equipped with Stage V engines from Caterpillar.
More information
If you would like to know more about the Stage V total solution from Caterpillar, please contact us via the form below.