Case IH just announced how it will meet EPA’s stringent engine emissions limits being imposed in 2014. The limits, called Tier 4, call for a 90% reduction in particulate matter and nitrogen oxides (NOx) over the Tier 3 requirements that went into effect a few years ago.

The company says it will use the same technology, called Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR), that it is using to meet the Tier 4 interim requirements, which took effect this year for all high-horsepower tractors. SCR is an engine exhaust aftertreatment system that works outside the engine in the exhaust system. It treats engine emissions after they leave the engine. New Holland and AGCO also are using this technology to meet Tier 4 interim standards.

Users of the technology claim that SCR is not only effective in treating emission but also improves fuel economy and reduces maintenance costs. By treating exhaust to eliminate NOx after it exits the engine, the engine can perform at peak efficiency, Case IH says.

Deere makes similar claims about Cooled Exhaust Gas Recirculation (CEGR), the technology it is using to meet the same Tier 4 interim emission standards. Unlike SCR, it treats pollutants before they reach the exhaust by recirculating the exhaust back through the engine and burning away particulate matter through a process called regeneration.

Case IH’s announcement is significant in that, up until now, most engine manufacturers have agreed that meeting 2014 Tier 4 Final standards would require a combination of both SCR and EGR technologies. Case IH says that by staying with SCR, there will be no additional requirements for Case IH customers who have purchased interim Tier 4 equipment today. “Filling the Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) tank is all it takes to reduce fuel consumption and extend service intervals,” Case IH states in a news release.

For more information, visit www.caseih.com/na.