Today we announced
the unveiling of China’s first engine with Westport HPDI technology during the
China National People’s Congress. The introduction of this engine fills an
important gap in China’s natural gas engine market for heavy-duty trucks, as demand
for natural gas increases along with the support of alternative fuels for a
variety of uses – including transportation - by the Chinese government. It’s
encouraging to see China take an interest in natural gas as a cleaner
alternative to coal, which has traditionally been the country’s main fuel
source.
China Is In The Market For A New Energy Resource
With coal supplying roughly two thirds of the country’s
energy needs, China’s emissions of greenhouse gases are some of the world’s
highest. As
a result, the Chinese Central Government has created an international campaign
to develop and explore shale gas as part of China’s energy strategy, with a
particular focus on natural gas.
As China’s energy consumption increases (it’s now second
only to the United States), the shift to cleaner fuel sources is notable. Preliminary
findings (conducted by the United States)
show that shale gas resources in China might be 100 trillion cubic meters, the
same level as the United States. Although
China doesn’t yet produce shale gas commercially, the Ministry of Land and
Resources announced its shale gas production goal as equal to 8-12 percent of
the total annual domestic natural gas output. By incorporating shale gas into
the National Energy Strategies Toward
2030 the country aims to triple its use of natural gas by 2020 to 10
percent of energy consumption in an effort to curb pollution. The 2011 International Energy Agency special report, Are We Entering a Golden Age of Gas? predicted
that Chinese gas demand would increase by as much as 50 percent by 2035 to
match that of the 27-nation European Union. Natural gas will allow China to use
its large domestic natural gas reserves, reduce
the country’s dependency on foreign oil and coal, and improve air quality while
reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The economic benefits of using a domestic
resource, coupled with the lower price of gas versus oil offer added incentive
for the Chinese to focus on this alternative energy.
Note the marked increase of engine sales of Weichai Westport engines
HPDI Engine Technology
Enters the Chinese Market
This marks the first use in China of natural gas engine
technology that isn’t spark-ignited, and a significant advance in heavy-duty
and long-haul trucking. What makes HPDI technology stand out is that it allows
a diesel engine to run, primarily on natural gas without having to change the
main parts of the engine. HDPI works by
using a small amount of diesel to ignite the natural gas, a process that would
normally require a spark, thus allowing the engine to stay largely unaltered.
Since the pistons and engine body remain unchanged, the engine is able to
deliver torque at low speeds and deliver increased efficiency at the higher end.
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