The company announced that it has signed a letter of intent to start the first phase of a production development program for Clean Air Power’s MicroPilot diesel-natural gas engine for the South East Asian and other markets. The company said the start of the new program comes following the successful conclusion of the concept study, announced in February, with a global truck manufacturer.
The initial phase of the program is due to start this month and is due to last for six months. Clean Air Power, which will continue to be supported by Ricardo, expects the project to generate revenue of more than GBP3 million and, if successful, it expects to enter a second phase under which the MicroPilot engine would be brought into production by 2017.
“We are delighted to be moving from the concept phase to the first phase of production development on a MicroPilot diesel-natural gas engine with the potential to deliver a significant improvement in performance and efficiency,” said Clean Air Power CEO John Pettitt. “Our client is a progressive, global truck manufacturer with a bold ambition for the future application of compression-ignited natural gas engines. Its commitment to move ahead demonstrates the value that our relationship with Ricardo can bring to OEM partners.”
“Natural gas is an important future low carbon fuel for a range of industries and vehicle applications. Micropilot technology offers a potentially very practical and attractive means of improving the efficiency and reducing the emissions of truck diesel engines. We look forward to working with Clean Air Power on this exciting project,” added Ricardo engines business MD Ian Penny.
Source: Clean Air Power / Ricardo
