At the last meeting of the Motor Vehicle Emissions Group (MVEG) subgroup on Euro 5 emissions regulations on 20 December 2006 the latest draft of the Euro 5 light duty vehicle regulations now includes biomethane within its definitions for natural gas (CH4). The last version of the draft regulations used the word biogas, however, the part of the NGV industry supporting renewable methane has made an important distinction between biogas as the first output of the renewable ‘methanization’ process that is then upgraded to ‘biomethane’ and used in vehicles. Biogas has typically been considered by European policy makers, to be an electricity generating fuel.
The distinction is very important for the NGV industry in that it gives official
recognition to both natural gas the fossil fuel and biomethane the renewable
resource (See earlier NGV Global story on biomethane recognition). Biomethane will likely become more visible and important because European energy policy increasingly will focus on renewable resources while concerns rise about natural gas availability and transport from countries such as Russia, in particular.
Also included in the Euro 5 regulations are measures to impose stricter limits on pollutant emissions from diesel and petrol cars, in particular nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, which pose the most serious health and environmental problems. The new regulations also will close the current loopholes under the Euro 4 Directive for heavy sports utility vehicles (SUVs) and four-wheel drives above 2,500 kg. The regulation also includes a non-methane hydrocarbon standard for all cars with spark ignition engines, yet a total
hydrocarbon standard also is maintained.
The NMHC is something that ENGVA has been advocating since its inception in 1994 yet also maintaining a THC could continue to cause problems for the NGV retrofit industry. Some alternative suggestions from ENGVA members are being forwarded to the Commission regulators in hopes that something can be done to revise the THC in a way that would ease some of the problems identified by NGV conversion companies.
Originally the Commissioned planned that the Euro 5 proposal would come into force by mid-2008 for new car models and in 2010 for all new cars, but Parliament has voted to delay its introduction by one year in order to provide sufficient preparation time for building and testing adapted engines.
The schedule for adoption of the new regulations is set as follows:
• Expected early 2007: Parliament vote to be confirmed by EU member
states.
• September 2009: Euro 5 applies to all new car models (light commercial
vehicles and special needs cars in September 2010).
• January 2011: Euro 5 applies to all new cars (light commercial vehicles
and special needs cars in January 2012).
• September 2014: Euro 6 applies to all new car models (light commercial
vehicles and special needs cars in January 2015).
• September 2015: Euro 6 applies to all new cars (light commercial
vehicles and special needs cars in January 2016).
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