September 24, 2022. The Director for Gas-Engine Vehicles of Kamaz PTC Evgeny Pronin delivered a report “Gas-Engine Kamaz Vehicles – High Efficiency and Modern Production” at St. Petersburg International Gas Forum 2022, which finished in the Northern capital of Russia last Friday.
The presentation took place in the course of the plenary session “Gas Engine Fuel – a Reliable Solution in the Face of New Socio-Economic and Environmental Challenges”.
“Under the Russian program “Development of the Gas-Engine Fuel Market”, there are basic terms created for transition to large-scale use of natural gas as vehicle fuel. We have accumulated experience enough to prove soundness and efficiency of this type of fuel. Under current conditions, its use is much-needed, because it can ensure a significant growth of domestic natural gas consumption, apart from solving tasks to improve the environment and reduce transportation costs,” noted the speaker.
As an example, the speaker gave an option of replacement of 10% of long-haul truck tractors with gas-engine ones. In this case, fuel costs will make about 60 bn roubles, annual consumption of natural gas will exceed 3.5 bn cubic meters, while releasing 2.5 m tonnes of diesel fuel worth 107 bn roubles for export. As for environmental issues, about 1 m tonnes of CO2 emissions are to be reduced every year. It is also important that in current conditions it is not needed to lower the emission class of vehicles produced, due to a simple engine design, a neutralization system and availability of necessary components.
Pronin also informed that technical characteristics of Kamaz gas-engine vehicles are currently on a par with those of diesel ones. Thus, whereas a 12-liter Kamaz engine generated only 240 hp several years ago, now a new R6 gas engine of the same working capacity has a power of 450 hp. The use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) on a gas-motor tractor ensures the range comparable with that of its diesel analogue. An additional advantage is a simple exhaust gas post-processing system of a dual-filter type located right in an exhaust silencer. As a result, it is 205 kg lighter than the diesel engine system with AD Blue fluid and doesn’t need service maintenance.
