US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved Caterpillar Marine’s Cat 3512 and 3516 Tier 3 engine upgrade solutions to enable owners to reduce emissions from harbour and inland vessels
US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved Caterpillar Marine’s Cat 3512 and 3516 Tier 3 engine upgrade solutions to enable owners to reduce emissions from harbour and inland vessels.
AmNav Maritime Corp is one of the first to implement this propulsion upgrade to reduce its environmental footprint. It worked with Caterpillar and local dealer Peterson Power Systems to install the upgrade.
Over the course of the project, Caterpillar’s team identified the necessary solution to upgrade an engine to Tier 3 status, conducting physical overhauls and performing emissions testing to confirm Tier 3 compliance.
This upgrade allows AmNav to continue operating the vessel in an area that has challenging emissions requirements.
AmNav president and chief operating officer Milt Merritt explains why it upgraded the engine on its tugboat. “Great service, safety, and innovation are at the forefront of our operations to maintain our fleets,” he says.
“Cat’s solution offerings allowed us to upgrade our vessels at a fraction of the cost of a repower, minimises downtime, and enables better emissions,” he explains.
Caterpillar’s Tier 3 upgrade solution helps lower overall fleet modernisation costs and enables owners to return vessels back to work faster than a longer repowering project.
During EPA’s verification process, the agency verified a selection of Cat 3500 upgrades for mechanical unit injectors, electronic unit injectors, and Tier 1 and Tier 2 Cat engines to achieve Tier 3. EPA was checking for reductions particulate material, NOx and carbon monoxide emissions.
Caterpillar general manager for marine Derrick York said Caterpillar worked closely with its dealer network to achieve EPA approval.
“The EPA approval vindicates our hard work and demonstrates our focus on sustainability,” says Mr York. “Now, more customers can take advantage of this new upgrade for their 3512 and 3516 engines to Tier 3, helping to reduce particulate matter and NOx emissions,” he adds.
“In collaboration with our Caterpillar dealer network, this upgrade is an example of how we are committed to supporting our customers with their sustainability goals.”
Peterson representative for parts and services Jason Blacker says the “upgrade solution sets Caterpillar apart from other manufacturers.
“No other manufacturer in this space offers Tier conversion upgrades as an option to extend the useful life of a customer’s engine,” says Mr Blacker.
© 2023 Riviera Maritime Media Ltd.