ESTA is urging its members and members of its partner associations, to report any problems or reliability issues they may have experienced related to the use of the AdBlue additive in their diesel powered equipment, mostly cranes and SPMT transporters.
AdBlue, a mixture of water and urea, minimises the production of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by reacting with it in the catalytic converter, breaking it down into nitrogen and water vapour - Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR).
The request for more feedback follows the issue being raised at the last meeting of the EU Regulations Workgroup attended by some ESTA members and representatives from crane manufacturers.
Some crane rental companies have have apparently reported issues with the use of the additive, in some cases they have claimed that the number of on-road breakdowns have increased by more than 30 percent, which they are relating to AdBlue usage.
ESTA said: “A key concern is that if the AdBlue system malfunctions - perhaps because the engine is too cold - then the crane’s engine can lose power or even shut down, with potentially dangerous consequences. One solution might be for the engine manufacturers to develop some sort of ‘override’ that would allow the engine to keep operating for a limited period despite the AdBlue system malfunction. But engine manufacturers are reportedly reluctant to invest in diesel engine redesign at a time when their commercial emphasis is on developing electric powertrains.”
ESTA director Ton Klijn added: “As a first step, we are gathering information, and we will then consult with the members of the European Regulations Workgroup and decide on the next steps.”
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