Johnson Matthey will launch a new plant on Friday (21st August) which is designed specifically to produce selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalysts for the North American diesel market.

A leading player in the pgm industry, the company is set to unveil the facility on an 11.5-acre greenfield site at the Fayette Business Park in Georges Township, south-western Pennsylvania.

The move was largely motivated by strict new heavy-duty diesel emissions regulations relating to nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, which are being introduced in the US on 1st January 2010.

However, Marty Lassen, Director of Commercial Development and Marketing at Johnson Matthey, explained that other factors will boost North American demand for the catalysts in the future.

He said: "These include existing Tier 2 emission standards for light-duty vehicles and non-road heavy-duty diesel emission standards (which phase in between 2011 and 2014) that will require non-road mobile equipment such as construction and agricultural machinery to reduce particulate matter and NOx."

In addition, the company has snapped up a further 17.5 acres at the site in order to accommodate this expected increase in demand for SCR catalysts in the coming years.

The plant has already provided jobs for 40 new employees - who are currently involved in commissioning and production activities - with scope for creating 110 positions in all within three years.

Johnson Matthey's SCR process incorporates a 32.5 per cent urea solution, which it injects into the exhaust stream ahead of the catalysts themselves in order to control emissions.

Source:

Johnson Matthey opens new emissions control catalyst plant in southwestern Pennsylvania (19/08/09)

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