Environmental Solutions Worldwide announced that the company's Particulate Reactor Level II diesel emissions reduction catalyst was selected by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for an EPA-sponsored retrofit demonstration program in Beijing.

Last year, EPA and China's State Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on an integrated set of clean fuels and vehicles projects.

EPA committed to providing technical expertise and $200,000 toward diesel retrofit demonstrations. The Southwest Research Institute will manage the Beijing bus retrofits, coordinating closely with EPA, the Chinese government, the bus company, and emissions control vendors.

The institute, a Texas-based nonprofit specializing in technology transfer, is contributing matching funds to the project. The pilot program is expected to be completed by August 2007.

All of the emissions reduction devices will be installed on transit buses owned and operated by Beijing Public Transport Holdings, Ltd. The transit company operates a total of approximately 19,000 buses of which about 8,000 buses are equipped with diesel engines. The buses involved in the retrofit program will be operated in the city of Beijing on pre-selected in-service operating routes.

In July 2001, Beijing won the right to stage the 2008 Olympic Games. During the process of wining the bid, Beijing committed to spending in excess US$5.4 billion US towards the improvement of the city's air quality. Air pollution in China is increasing rapidly, much of it due to the rising number of vehicles.

In Beijing alone, close to 1,000 vehicles are being added to the roads each day. The fine particulate matter and other emissions from existing diesel-powered trucks and buses contribute to air pollution in Beijing and other large cities and pose serious public health impacts.

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