Some of Europe's leading truck producers such as DaimlerChrysler and Volvo say they are planning to launch new heavy-duty vehicles
with lower NOx emissions before the end of 2004. This is well ahead of the October 2005 implementation of Euro IV legislation that specifies tight new emission standards.
The new technology for reducing NOx emissions is called Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR). The SCR unit is situated in the exhaust system and requires a constant feed of urea solution to destroy the harmful NOx. Supporters of the SCR technology claim this allows for more efficient operation of the engine, and therefore reduced diesel consumption and lower running costs.
The introduction of SCR systems may create a new market for urea solution, likely to be called AdBlue. In a new report, Integer Research forecasts that consumption of AdBlue in Europe will exceed 2.7 million tonnes by 2010, with France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK accounting for 75% of demand. The report includes detailed supply, demand and distribution forecasts for AdBlue by country.
Distribution of the urea solution to end-users will be through a mix of closed fleet depots and public fuel stations such as truckstops. However, in the initial stages of the market, most vehicles are expected to be supplied from their home depot, with broader infrastructure developing later.