Heavy Duty Dual Fuel Demonstrator Engine Achieving Future EU Emissions Compliance with 23% Carbon Reduction

A heavy-duty truck engine will burn a mix of diesel and gas to cut carbon emissions by 23% compared to current diesel-only trucks. The problem is that heavy trucks are a major source of transport CO₂, but battery-electric powertrains remain impractical for long-haul freight due to weight and range limits. Dual-fuel engines—running mostly on natural gas with a small diesel pilot injection—offer a lower-carbon alternative, but they leak unburned methane, a potent greenhouse gas, and struggle to meet tightening European emissions standards. This project tackles both issues. It develops a new combustion system called Premixed Micropilot Combustion to reduce methane slip, plus an exhaust after-treatment that oxidises methane at low temperatures. An advanced engine management system with gas-quality sensing ensures the engine stays compliant across real-world driving conditions. If successful, the demonstrator engine could offer a practical, cost-effective path to decarbonise long-haul trucking without waiting for battery or hydrogen infrastructure to mature. That would cut emissions from supply chains and freight logistics—systems that quietly move goods across continents every day—while keeping trucks on the road and within future EU emissions limits.