Diesel Vehicles Emissions Control and its Emissions Benefits in Hong Kong

Diesel vehicles emission is the main contributor to the air pollution in Hong Kong accounting for almost all the particulate and 75% of nitrogen oxides emissions from vehicles. The control strategy of the Hong Kong Environment Protection Department is:

• Introducing the most stringent practicable emissions and fuel standard.
• Introducing clean alternatives to reduce the reliance on diesel vehicles
• Strengthening the inspection on the emissions of motor vehicles
• Stepping up the enforcement against smoky vehicles
• Retrofitting of in-use vehicles with locally practicable technology
• Promoting environmentally friendly driving behavior and awareness of proper vehicle maintenance.

This paper summarizes the progress of all the control measures and also reports in details the results and the way forward of the various trials of diesel vehicles retrofit technologies including small particulate traps, oxidation catalysts and ultra low sulphur diesel. The objectives of these trials were to determine the feasibility, effectiveness and acceptability of these technologies by the concerned vehicle operators. Over 100 private and government vehicles from the transport trade and franchised bus companies were involved in these trials and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University was responsible for the emission testing.

With the implementation of the vehicle emission control measures, our target is to reduce the particulate and nitrogen oxides emissions from vehicles by about 80% and 30% respectively by 2005.