Mahle Powertrain, the engineering business segment of the Mahle Group, on Thursday announced that it received support from the US government for a technology project to reduce methane emissions in the oil and gas industry.
The goal is to develop an advanced exhaust gas after-treatment solution. The results are expected to be implemented in 2025.
A communication from the company said the funding of the government agency Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) amounts to $3.2 million. The project partners of Mahle Powertrain include the State University of New York (SUNY) in Buffalo/New York and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Oak Ridge/Tennessee.
The research programme is part of the Reducing Emissions of Methane Every Day of the Year (REMEDY) initiative, which aims to significantly reduce emissions of the potent greenhouse gas methane. In addition, the project aims to further reduce methane emissions from natural gas-powered lean-burn engines in the megawatt range. These industrial engines are typically used to power compressors and ships and to generate electricity. The team of experienced engineers and technicians from all three organisations will start work shortly.
The goal is to develop an advanced exhaust gas after-treatment solution that fully meets the requirements of the REMEDY programme. The company also plans to tackle the problem of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, which are often caused by these large natural gas engines.
The Mahle Powertrain branch in Plymouth/Michigan has successfully worked with the US Department of Energy and ARPA-E for several years and participated in various important joint research and development projects to provide economically viable and energy-efficient solutions to support the US automotive industry. These included the development of advanced pre-chamber ignition technology and the application of ultra-efficient micro combined heat and power generation.
Mike Bunce, Head of Research, Mahle Powertrain USA, said, “This is an exciting task for Mahle and its partners. It is particularly important because we are focusing on an industrial sector where electrification poses technical and economic challenges.”