FPT Industrial is sustainably powering the new Natural Gas (NG) Methane-Powered Wheel Loader Concept – ProjectTETRA from CASE Construction Equipment, presented at bauma 2019, in Munich, Germany. With this announcement, FPT Industrial reinforces its commitment to develop sustainable solutions specifically adapted to off-road applications.
The new wheel loader concept is the first Natural Gas construction machine from CASE Construction Equipment and is powered by a 6-cylinder NG engine from FPT Industrial’s NEF family. This power unit, delivering power up to 230 hp and torque up to 1,184 Nm, has diesel-like performance, but with a smoother and quieter drive. It also offers the same reliability and durability and fuel savings up to 30%. The engine runs on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), ensuring 15% less CO2 and 99% less Particulate Matter than its diesel-based counterpart.
The NEF engine uses stoichiometric technology, which ensures the correct chemical balance between air and methane in every working condition, delivering clean combustion and low emissions. Such technology is enabled by FPT Industrial’s proprietary control strategy, specific piston design and multi-point injection. Optimized combustion improves engine efficiency, leading to running cost savings of 10-30% over diesel. The highly stable spark-ignited combustion system also reduces vibration and engine noise up to 5 dB in comparison with conventional diesel engines, representing a 50% reduction in drive-by noise. 
Among the many segments set to benefit from the new CASE Methane-Powered Wheel Loader Concept – ProjectTETRA will be waste management companies and construction contractors, for both of which a competitive carbon footprint is becoming increasingly important in winning and retaining contracts. Thanks to the FPT Industrial Natural Gas engine, the CASE wheel loader concept can operate in regulated urban or indoor environments without the need for expensive ventilation equipment.
FPT Industrial is at the forefront of the development of Natural Gas engines for the on-road market, with more than 20 years’ experience and with over 40,000 units installed in vans, buses and trucks. The brand’s expertise allowed it to take Natural Gas to a higher level, delivering the same performance as diesel, while providing a sustainable solution, with emissions well below regulations for on- and off-road applications, such as Euro VI and Stage V.
FPT Industrial offers the most complete Natural Gas engine line-up on the market for industrial applications, with power ranges from 136-460 hp. Its engines are capable of running on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and Biomethane, the latter can reduce CO₂ emission levels close to zero. Besides powering light commercial vehicles for urban missions, long haul trucks and intercity buses, FPT Industrial introduced Natural Gas to the agriculture segment in 2013 with the New Holland Agriculture methane tractor prototype.
