Sales of all diesel retrofit devices in the United States declined in 2011 from the previous two years, according to the Manufacturers of Emission Controls Association.
MECA said that its member companies sold 20,177 diesel retrofit devices verified by both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board. That compares with 24,640 retrofit de-vices sold in 2010 and 29,180 sold in 2009.
MECA said that the declining sales were “most likely due to the decrease in federal funding for clean diesel projects” and a higher portion of funds being spent on projects that use engine repowers or vehicle replacements rather than retrofits.
The Diesel Emissions Reduction Act, which has provided funding and incentives for clean diesel projects, received about $531 million in funding from fiscal years 2007-2011, but only $30 million were appropriated for DERA for 2012, MECA said.
Of the diesel retrofit devices sold in 2011, 57% were diesel particulate filters, or DPFs, including both passively regenerated and actively regenerated filters; 23% were diesel oxidation catalysts; 15% were closed-crankcase filters; and 4% were flow-through filters, MECA said.
The number of DPFs sold in the United States rose to 11,506 in 2011, from 10,173 in 2010.
DPF sales, although increasing, “were expected to be much higher in 2011,” especially in California because of CARB regulations, Meca said.
In California, MECA members sold 7,558 diesel retrofit devices in 2011, up from 7,487 in 2010 and 5,086 in 2009.
