U.S. Gov’t Sponsors MAHLE Project to Reduce Methane Emissions

MAHLE Powertrain will receive support from the U.S. government for a technology project to reduce methane emissions in the oil and gas industry.

The funding of the government agency Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) amounts to USD 3.2 million. Project partners of MAHLE Powertrain are the State University of New York in Buffalo and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, TN. The goal is to develop an advanced exhaust gas aftertreatment solution with results expected to be implemented in 2025.

“That’s 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,” said Mike Bunce, Head of Research at MAHLE Powertrain USA.

The research program is part of the Reducing Emissions of Methane Every Day of the Year (REMEDY) initiative, aiming to significantly reduce emissions of the greenhouse gas methane. The project aims to further reduce methane emissions from natural gas-powered lean burn engines in the megawatt range—industrial engines typically used to power compressors and ships, and to generate electricity. The goal—develop an advanced exhaust gas aftertreatment solution that fully meets the requirements of the REMEDY program.

MAHLE Powertrain also plans to tackle the problem of nitrogen oxide (NO_x) emissions, which are often caused by these large natural gas engines.