Clean Air Power partnering with Ricardo on development of diesel-natural gas engines

Clean Air Power announces Ricardo has recently confirmed the companies' partnership to develop the MicroPilot diesel-natural gas engine for South East Asia and other markets.

Clean Air Power welcomes publication by Ricardo Inc. of its Q4 Quarterly Review, which highlights the benefits of dual-fuel technology (including operational flexibility and retaining diesel performance characteristics whilst removing operational and commercial risk through diesel fall-back and the protection of residual values) and reaffirms Ricardo’s commitment to the co-operation agreement signed with Clean Air Power in September 2013 for the development and application of the company’s MicroPilot technology.

Clean Air Power is currently collaborating with Ricardo on the first phase of a production development program for a MicroPilot diesel-natural gas engine for the South East Asian and other markets under a contract with a global truck manufacturer. The program will generate revenues of over $3 million in the period to April 2015 and, if successful, will move to a second phase targeting the start of production in 2017.

Test results from the company’s MicroPilot research and development programs, including the company’s partnership with Brunel University, London, has demonstrated that MicroPilot technology can deliver over 90% substitution of diesel with natural gas, along with a 10% improvement in both power and torque and a 60% reduction in NOx emissions compared to conventional dual-fuel technology.

John Pettitt, Chief Executive of Clean Air Power, says, “Ricardo is a world renowned engineering company and its continuing support is a major endorsement of the quality of our MicroPilot technology and the potential for the use of natural gas as a road fuel. Our research and development programs are demonstrating that if we can deliver these results on a compression-ignited natural gas production engine, then our MicroPilot technology will be a game-changer within the industry, in terms of fuel economy, performance and environmental benefits. The current South East Asian development program demonstrates the value our relationship with Ricardo can bring to OEM partners and we look forward to working alongside Ricardo on further OEM programs in the future.”

The full Q4 Quarterly Review can be accessed via the Ricardo website.

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