Stage V (Stage 5) is a phrase that is starting to be used in several industries. It refers to the emission standard for mobile machinery with spark/ignition engines. It encompasses most NRNN (Non- Road Mobile Machinery) such as pumps, generators, and lighting towers. It was introduced in July 2016 by the EU Parliament and published in the official journal of the EU as a regulation in September. They brought this standard in, in hopes to reduce the harmful substances that are emitted into the atmosphere when using such machinery. They aimed to do this using the same method as road vehicles, with particulate filters.
The main difference between Stage V and other EU emissions standards is that now, the engines need to have controls such as DPF’s to limit the mass of particulate matter and number of particles emitted into the atmosphere. Also, it will limit carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons. This will mean that Stage V machines are much more environmentally friendly due to the reduction of air pollution.
There are some exceptions to Stage V such as certain motor vehicles, tractors, stationary machinery, and watercraft but generally they have to comply with other regulations. Since January 2020, it has been mandatory for engine manufacturers in the NRMM industry to install the cleanest diesel engines they can into their machines to lower harmful emissions. Stage V at the moment, is the highest emission standard, so most new machines will have them fitted. Although Stage V is more expensive to buy and operate due to the technology, they are necessary for reducing the amount of dangerous materials that are emitted from most machinery. Most machines require the addition of AdBlue which converts a lot of the harmful N0x into nitrogen and water vapour. AdBlue is a mixture of demineralised water and urea and its injected into the exhaust gases.
For diesel engines, Stage V is said to be the last stage of emissions due to the development of alternative fuels. (Such as HVO) Electric machines are becoming increasingly popular and there are some hydrogen engines on the market already also. Although Stage V is compulsory in new machinery, if your machine has an older tier engine in, they can still be used for the next few years.
However, it won’t be long before you are no longer allowed to run these machines and there are already areas in London where this is the case. (ULEZ- Ultra Low Emission Zone) This is why Zenith Power is passionate about creating a range of Stage V, emission compliant generators, to pre-empt this. A lot of new tenders for big projects state that only Stage V machinery can be used, for example HS2. This is in line with the governments roadmap which aims to ensure all construction sites are completely emission- free by 2033 at the latest.
