Omnitek Engineering Corp. announces that a 12-liter natural gas engine manufactured by TEDOM s.r.o. Ltd. and equipped with Omnitek’s proprietary natural gas engine management system has received EURO 6 emissions certification.
TEDOM, an engine and bus manufacturer based in the Czech Republic, is the company’s exclusive OEM customer in the region.
“The ability of Omnitek’s technology to meet the Euro VI emissions standards represents an important strategic advantage to both of our organizations. It should further accelerate demand for natural gas engines in Europe, as well as other world regions that require Euro VI certification, and we are gratified to be an industry leader with our partner,” says Werner Funk, President and Chief Executive Officer of Omnitek Engineering Corp.
“Euro 6 emissions certification is a competitive advantage and not easily achieved,” Funk says. He notes that most countries mandating compliance with Euro 6 emissions standards have expensive diesel fuel costs, which are essentially unaffected by lower oil prices due to the high fuel tax component. “This results in a large price delta between diesel and natural gas prices, which makes Euro 6-compliant natural gas engines particularly attractive to fleets operating in these countries. It also solidifies Omnitek’s position as a global leader in natural gas engine technology, and makes our sales momentum less dependent on domestic customers who might be inclined to delay converting heavy-duty diesel fleets to natural gas due to current lower oil prices,” Funk adds.
He emphasizes that even with lower oil prices, the company is still in active discussions with several large domestic fleet operators. Funk adds he anticipates certain key projects commencing in the near future, as fleet managers have now completed analyzing the economic benefits of a pay-back period of less than two years for diesel-to-natural gas engine conversions and also recognize the environmental considerations and related compliance issues with meeting emissions mandates.
Funk notes the company’s recent announcement highlighting the utilization of Omnitek’s system in two TEDOM-powered natural gas locomotive engines powering a Czech Railways train in a pilot program with scheduled service three times daily between the Czech cities of Opava and Hlučín. The pilot program is seeking to demonstrate the economic, environmental and practical applications of CNG for rail transportation. “Reports from representatives of The Czech Railway indicate the engines have produced significant fuel savings and a sharp reduction in emissions, as they operate on 100% natural gas.
“We continue to support our customers with engine technology that uses 100% natural gas, which offers much higher fuel savings potential and lower emissions than diesel dual-fuel technology that utilizes a relatively small amount of natural gas mixed with diesel,” Funk says.
