Caterpillar Retrofits Diesel Equipment at Port of Cleveland

31 October 2005

In a demonstration of the effectiveness of its retrofit technology, Caterpillar is equipping all land-based equipment at the Port of Cleveland with emission-reducing catalyzed converter/mufflers (CCM). Port operator Federal Marine Terminals owns the 26 lift trucks and other machines being retrofitted under this effort.

The project represents the type of retrofit solutions that can be supported nationwide under the Diesel Emissions Reduction Program (earlier post), which was introduced by Senator George Voinovich (R-Ohio) and passed into law as part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

Retrofitting older diesel engines is the right thing to do for the environment and for our economy. That is why this bipartisan program has broad support from industry, public and environmental officials. On-road and non-road diesel vehicles and engines account for roughly half of the nitrogen oxide and particulate matter mobile source emissions nationwide. By retrofitting 26 diesel engines at this port, 25.9 tons of emissions will be reduced.

—Sen. Voinovich

Caterpillar’s CCM is a diesel oxidation catalyst within a muffler assembly, and is certified by the EPA to reduce particulate matter emissions by 20%, hydrocarbons by 40% and carbon monoxide emissions by 20%. To achieve these reductions, the engine must be burning a fuel with a maximum of 500 ppm sulfur.