PGM demand from all non-road sectors in 2011 is expected to amount to 130,000 oz, according to Johnson Matthey in its latest market review, Platinum 2011 Interim Review.

One of the most promising parts of the non-road sector in terms of pgm demand is non-road mobile machinery (NRMM), defined as any transportable industrial equipment or vehicle in which an internal combustion engine is installed and which is not intended for the use of passenger or goods transport on the road, such as agricultural and construction machinery, and locomotive engines.

Regulations governing engine emissions from NRMM have been in force in various regions of the world since the late 1990s but, with a few minor exceptions, have not been suf?ciently tight to require pgm aftertreatment. With the general introduction of Stage IIIB legislation in Europe and Tier 4 Interim in the USA this year, followed by Interim Tier 4 in certain engine categories in Japan next year, all that is about to change.

Since the range of engine applications in NRMM is so wide, a variety of different approaches will be adopted to tackle emissions, including exhaust gas recirculation and selective catalytic reduction, depending on the end-use and legislative requirements.

However, the non-road sector is highly diverse and demand cannot be simply estimated by looking at the size of the non-road market and comparing that directly with the on-road sector. The individual market segments, of which there are many, need to be considered together with the perspective of the engine producers, who in many cases are completely new to the world of pgm-based aftertreatment.

Whatever the individual strategies adopted, the overall impacts of the evolving legislation are good, both for the environment and for pgm demand. As non-road emissions legislation is increasingly implemented in Europe, Japan and North America, and becomes more stringent, demand for pgm in NRMM can be expected to grow over the next few years.

The Special Feature on NRMM gives an introduction to the regulations and choices for aftertreatment strategies for a range of non-road applications in the main markets of Europe, North America and Japan and can be found at: http://www.platinum.matthey.com/uploaded_files/Int_2011/non-road_emissions_control.pdf

Source: http://www.platinum.matthey.com/media-room/news-room/non-road-sector-represents-promising-area-for-pgm-demand/801238639.html