54. The representative of EUROMOT introduced ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRPE/2024/16, ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRPE/2024/17, GRPE-90-13 and GRPE-90-14 to propose amending the 05 series of amendments to UN Regulation No. 96 and amending the 02 series of amendments to UN Regulation No. 120 to permit the use of hydrogen (H2) in internal combustion engines to be installed in agricultural and forestry tractors and in non-road mobile machinery. The representatives of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, the UK and of the EC supported the proposals. The representative of the Netherlands also encouraged to develop similar proposals for dual-fuel engines.
55. GRPE adopted ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRPE/2024/16 and requested the secretariat to submit it to WP.29 and AC.1 for consideration and vote at their June 2024 sessions as draft new supplement to the 05 series of amendments to UN Regulation No. 96 (Uniform provisions concerning the approval of engines to be installed in agricultural and forestry tractors and in nonroad mobile machinery with regard to the emissions of pollutants by the engine).
56. GRPE adopted ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRPE/2024/17, as amended by GRPE-90-13 as reflected in Annex XI and requested the secretariat to submit it to WP.29 and AC.1 for consideration and vote at their June 2024 sessions as draft new supplement to the 02 series of amendments to UN Regulation No. 120 (Uniform provisions concerning the approval of internal combustion engines to be installed in agricultural and forestry tractors and in non-road mobile machinery, with regard to the measurement of the net power, net torque and specific fuel consumption).
57. The representative of the Netherlands introduced GRPE-90-24. The representative of the EC praised the high value and timeliness of the analysis. He informed GRPE that the EC will perform a review of the European Stage V legislation in 2025, using the data collected during the In-Service Monitoring (ISM) program. He added that was expected to be a basis for the next Non-Road Mobile Machinery (NRMM) legislation. He further added that the JRC of the EU had access to the ISM collected raw data, highlighting the longer-term potential to shift from ISM to In-Service Conformity (ISC), while keeping type approval in mind.
58. The representative of the UK reiterated the testing activities were on-going in the country that were mentioned during the last session of GRPE.
59. The Chair emphasized the importance of controlling the existing and improve the limits where necessary.
60. The representative of EUROMOT said that the association was getting ready for the next stage of NRMM emission legislation discussions. He added that ISM program implied high resources and was a an extensive, expensive activity and that it would be important to take the output of this program to discuss the next legislative steps. Reacting to GRPE-90-24, he recalled that all the data reported as part of the ISM are provided with and without the exclusions referred to in GRPE-90-24. He also reacted to the power-bin hopping mentioned in GRPE-90-24, highlighting other factors than emission limits can also partly explain the situation described; he provided the example of 56-130 kW versus 130-560 kW engine power bins, where emission limits are the same but engine configuration and architecture are different (4- versus 6-cylinder engines in this case) that could partly explain why 129 kW engines are popular, given their higher power density and higher operating load (which also benefited an efficient operation of SCR systems).
61. The representative of Italy wondered if other non-EU parties were also planning for NRMM legislation revisions in the future to set technical conditions that could be recognized worldwide. He also added that indeed limits could be decided here in Geneva, but recalled that usual practice that limits are set nationally/regionally before being agreed upon globally as part of the activity of WP.29 and its subsidiary bodies.