Caterpillar Inc. will be the only marine diesel engine manufacturer featured at the Diesel Technology Forum event held in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, September 29, 2009. Titled “Clean Diesel Power: Ready for Tomorrow, Working Today,” the Diesel Technology Forum promises to transform America’s “power capital” into the “clean diesel power capital” when dozens of manufacturers display their newest technology for the nation’s Congressional representatives.
“Providing policymakers an up close and personal view of technology makes for a more rounded and realistic understanding of the importance of diesel and the progress the industry has made on so many fronts – on-road, off-road and marine as well,” explained Allen Schaeffer, Executive Director of the Diesel Technology Forum, in a press release from Caterpillar Marine. “We want them to leave with the right information so that in making that next policy decision on clean air, energy or climate, they have some experience with clean diesel.”
Caterpillar will not only display clean diesel machinery on Woodrow Wilson Plaza, but will also feature the debut display of the Cat® 3500 engine upgrade kit technology. This technology is currently being field tested in several sites throughout the United States, including Dutch Harbor, Alaska, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. As customers face additional regulatory pressure from municipalities, states and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the need for updated engine technology has become crucial – without sacrificing the level of performance, reliability and fuel efficiency that customers have come to expect from Caterpillar.
“Caterpillar has long been a supporter of environmental protection and progress,” explained David Holt, product support process manager with Caterpillar Marine Power Systems. “The Clean Diesel Power event will allow Caterpillar representatives to reach out to legislators to not only support their efforts to continue promoting emission reduction in their local areas, but also demonstrate the commitment from Caterpillar to helping customers in their constituencies meet regulatory guidelines and sustainability goals. It won’t be an easy road – but Caterpillar is in for the long haul.”
The engine technology, developed by Caterpillar, will allow customers to update their pre-EPA Tier I mechanical engines into a fully compliant electronically controlled engine by making intrinsic changes to the engine during a normal overhaul. These changes can be made without having to remove the engines from the vessel – an often time-consuming and expensive task – and without adding weight to the boat itself.
