© Jo.
© Jo.

Brexit doesn’t affect UK engine research

Withdrawal from the European Union does not represent a threat to the clean engine research in the UK, according to the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC).

APC functions in the UK automotive manufacturing industry developing clean engine technology for cars, buses and trucks. With gathering interest in electric vehicles, battery technologies, lightweight materials and powertrains, and with the UK being among Europe’s biggest manufacturers, Gerry Wilson, director of business development at APC UK, sees no cause for alarm in the sector.

Wilson said: “What we see from government is no let-up in terms of investment in the automotive sector. We are the most productive automotive industry in Europe and that will continue unabated. If, as a consequence of Brexit, the funding stops from Europe, the government will maintain the funding.”

APC receives funds via Horizon 2020 grants, and Wilson added that this funding would continue through to 2020 at least.

Similarly, UK engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce has this year developed a gas marine engine in collaboration with German manufacturer MTU that has completed 3,000 hours on its test bench at Friedrichshafen, Germany. As of 2018, Rolls-Royce will begin to deliver gas engines for commercial vessels.

Dr Ulrich Dohle, CEO of Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG, said: “We can now confirm that the engine meets both our requirements and those of our customers. Its performance and its acceleration behaviour are similar to the excellent characteristics of a diesel engine. It is economical, reliable and clean.”

The engine’s multipoint gas injection system is designed to provide dynamic acceleration behaviour, increased performance and reduced emissions. Its low environmental impact is tailored to use by tugboats, ferries and scientific research vessels.