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Hamburg-headquartered Caterpillar Marine says it is now offering Cat C280 medium-speed diesel engines for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Tier 4 and International Maritime Organization (IMO) Tier III service. The EPA Tier 4 standards apply to all new U.S. flagged vessels starting in January 2014 and IMO III standards will apply to all new vessels entering IMO NOx Emissions Control Areas (NECA) starting in January 2016.

The C280 engines are available in eight, 12 and 16-cylinder models spanning a power range from 2,300 to 5,060 kilowatts (kW) as main engines - conventional and diesel electric - and also as auxiliary generator sets.

According to Caterpillar Marine, the latest models offer "significant benefits" over earlier units. As well as reduced emissions, they are said to "consume less fuel" and have lower through-life owning and operating costs.

"Over three decades of continuous development, the C280 engine series has clocked up more than 45 million operating hours. Its reliability and durability have found particular favour among operators of offshore supply vessels, coastal cargo ships, tugs, fishing vessels, inland waterway craft and work boats," Caterpillar Marine said in a statement.

All engines in the C280 range are now available worldwide through the Cat dealer network, which provides support through the life cycle of the solution.

Nathan Kelly, Caterpillar Marine production definition engineer, said the introduction of the Tier 4 engine range was "an important milestone because customers can now benefit from the latest NOx emission technology based on selective catalytic reduction (SCR)". The choice of SCR over other NOx reducing technologies, Kelly explained, was made based on the Caterpillar commitment to customers to offer solutions that provide the highest uptime and minimize overall total lifecycle cost.

Furthermore, Kelly said, an independent study undertaken by the International Council on Clean Transportation published in March 2014, highlights the benefits of emissions reduction technology and the wide range of companies that have adopted SCR as the most efficient solution for the marine industry.

"SCR was a clear choice for us," explained Kelly. "We have more than 160,000 Tier 4 Final and Interim engines in land-based operations using various NOx-reduction technologies. In marine applications, we specifically chose the best technology to fit the needs of our industry. We view SCR as the preferred option for the commercial marine industry."

Outlining the key benefits, Kelly explained: "The C280 is already renowned for its high uptime, reliability and durability, but for these Tier 4 engines our priority was to achieve the lowest lifecycle owning and operating cost. We have succeeded in this by improving engine fuel efficiency. Unlike previous emissions Tiers, our Tier 4 engines can run at optimal fuel efficiency because the SCR system is in place to reduce the higher NOx output. Any concerns about Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) cost are more than offset by the improved fuel efficiency as a result of utilizing the SCR technology."

Ensuring maximum operating safety at all times is crucial, Kelly adds. "Unlike some other NOx reduction technologies, our engines operate without interruption even in the event of SCR failure or running out of DEF. There is no effect on engine operation."