Perkins Engines in £25m green diesel scheme

Perkins Engines of Peterborough is one of a number of companies sharing £80 million of new investments through the Advanced Propulsion Centre.

In the scheme, £13m has been earmarked to develop innovative technologies for UK built diesel engines for off-highway use and exported worldwide by Perkins Engines Company Limited in a £25.1 million project with its partners.

Another project involves hydrogen fuel cell for light commercial vehicles.

Perkins Engines, part of Caterpillar Inc, of Peoria, Illinois, has a range of five diesel engines for use in agriculture, construction, industrial, power generation and materials handling duties.

These include the 400 Series, the 850, the 1000, the 1100 and the 1200 series. In off-highway applications the 400 Series develops between 13.7bhp and 67 bhp; the 850 develops between 84 bhp and 121 bhp; the 1100 develops between 67 and 275 bhp and the 1200 develops between 82 bhp and 300 bhp. Perkins Engines engineers have studied compacted graphite iron (CGI) use for diesel engine applications but have not used in production engines.

The new projects are aimed to bring fuel cells into van fleets, develop high efficiency transmissions and create the next generation of electric and hybrid buses are among the latest to receive finance from the joint £1 billion government and industry fund.

Business secretary Vince Cable announced £80 million of new investment for the four new projects through the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) which include:

• A new generation of electric and hybrid buses to be developed by Wrightbus and its partners in Northern Ireland which will receive a grant of £4.3 million in an £8.6 million programme.

• £6.3 million grant for a hydrogen fuel cell range extender for electric light commercial vehicle fleets in a joint £12.7 million project led by Intelligent Energy.

• A high efficiency transmission and electric drive by hofer powertrain UK which will receive £16.4 million in a £32.8 million programme.

• And finally, as mentioned, the £13 million to develop innovative technologies for UK built diesel engines for off-highway use and exported worldwide by Perkins Engines Company Limited in a £25.1 million project with its partners.

Since start-up in 2014, the APC has committed investment for 10 low carbon propulsion projects that will safeguard development and manufacturing jobs in the UK.

Business secretary Vince Cable said:”Green technology is needed to drive the cars of the future, and British designers and manufacturers must continue to lead innovators in this field. With projects as diverse as developing high efficiency transmissions to creating a new generation of electric and hybrid buses, the Advanced Propulsion Centre is one of the driving forces behind the development of new technology to fuel the green engines of the future, enabling our car industry to be truly world beating.”

The joint industry and government investment through the APC is selected by twice-yearly funding competitions. Bids will soon be welcomed from project teams to access a further £100 million which will be committed in the autumn of 2015.