MAHLE Powertrain, the engineering business segment of the MAHLE Group, is receiving 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 $3.2 million. Project partners of MAHLE Powertrain are the State University of New York (SUNY) in Buffalo/New York and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Oak Ridge/Tennessee. The goal is to develop an advanced exhaust gas aftertreatment solution. The results are 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, which aims to significantly reduce emissions of the potent greenhouse gas methane. The project aims to further reduce methane emissions from natural gas-powered lean burn engines in the megawatt range. These industrial engines are typically used to power compressors and ships, and to generate electricity. The team of experienced engineers and technicians from all three organizations will start work shortly. The goal is to 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 (NOx) emissions, which are often caused by these large natural gas engines.
The MAHLE Powertrain branch in Plymouth/Michigan has successfully worked with the U.S. Department of Energy and ARPA-E for several years and participated in various important joint research and development projects to provide economically viable and energy-efficient solutions to support the US automotive industry. These included the development of advanced prechamber ignition technology and the application of ultraefficient microcombined heat and power generation.
The reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is an important cornerstone of MAHLE’s corporate strategy. The technology group is clearly committed to the Paris Agreement and aims to achieve carbon-neutral production by 2040, within the framework of company-wide binding reduction targets. Last year, all MAHLE production locations in Germany already reached this goal. In addition, the use of self-generated energy from renewable sources will increase annually.
