Natural gas conversion for Cat truck engines gains EPA approval

Updated Apr 30, 2015

Caterpillar C15Omnitek Engineering Corp. announced it has received a Certificate of Conformity from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) applicable for diesel-to-natural gas engine conversions of the popular Caterpillar C15 engine family for model years 1993 to 2006.

TheCertificate of Conformity allows engine conversions to proceed in 49 States and includes the Caterpillar 3406E, C15, C15 ACERT and C16 engine models.

Omnitek will offer 100 percent dyno- tested “drop-in” ready converted engines, configured for quick installation. An assembly line engine remanufacturing/conversion process will assure that engines are in “as new” condition with the highest quality and uniformity.

“The Cat C15 engine family remains extremely popular for Class 8 truck applications, and we have received strong interest from customers. The pent up demand for a natural gas C15 engine bodes well for the company, as we expect strong sales momentum in the quarters ahead as fleet customers take advantage of the favorable economics of natural gas and our ‘drop-in’ engine program. Diesel-to-natural gas engines conversions are a viable and cost-effective option for Gliders and fleets, and our industry-leading product portfolio and technology offer fleet operators compelling reasons to convert to natural gas,” said Werner Funk, president and chief executive officer of Omnitek Engineering Corp.

Funk added that he anticipates drayage trucks will comprise a large portion of the company’s Caterpillar diesel-to-natural gas engine conversion business. As previously announced, Omnitek’s diesel-to-natural gas engine conversion technology was selected under a competitive grant process by the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency for a pilot project.

“As engines are converted to use 100 percent natural gas, CNG or LNG, the payback on a diesel-to-natural gas truck conversion can be as short as 16 months, including the cost for the engine, fuel storage system and installation labor. This is a significant improvement compared with diesel-dual fuel technology, which uses a mix of diesel and only a small amount of natural gas,” Funk said.