AIR QUALITY: A WALLOON LABORATORY TO CHECK EMISSIONS ANNOUNCED BY CARMAKERS
On the initiative of Environment Minister Carlo DI ANTONIO, the Walloon Government has decided to award a 5.5 million EUR grant to the Institut Scientifique de Service Public (ISSeP) to set up a Walloon vehicle conformity testing laboratory. These tests will be carried out to compare the “catalog” information supplied by the manufacturers with real-life conditions. This control will therefore be aimed at automakers, not private individuals.
The future laboratory will be responsible for checking the conformity of vehicles in service over the first 5 years. (and at least 6 months) or up to 100,000 km (with a minimum of 15,000 km) in terms of fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and regulated pollutants (NOx, fine particles, etc.), to ensure that these are always in line with the figures announced by manufacturers at the time of marketing.
IN-SERVICE COMPLIANCE TESTING
The in-service conformity test is part of the new European type-approval regulations for cars, and supplements the type-approval tests carried out before the vehicle is placed on the market.
3 types of measurement
The soon-to-be-created laboratory will carry out three types of measurements:
- Emissions measurements on test bench (laboratory) ;
- Emissions measurements under real driving conditions on the road using a portable emissions measurement system (PEMS) ;
- Comparative measurements on laboratory data and real-life road conditions.
Which vehicles?
The vehicles to be tested will be selected on the basis of a risk analysis carried out by the competent authority (the Certification and Homologation Department of the Walloon Public Service).
The test will cover :
- Category M1 vehicles (passenger cars with up to 8+1 seats),
- Category N1 vehicles (commercial vehicles weighing less than 3.5 tonnes) approved from January 1, 2019,
- And for all vehicles (with a “EURO 6” emissions standard) registered after September 1, 2019.
At the end of the compliance tests, a report is drawn up. In the event of non-compliance, contact will be made with the manufacturer, who will be asked to draw up a corrective action plan and submit it to the authority for assessment.
The report will also be communicated via a database (online platform) to the European authorities.
CERTIFICATION TESTS
At present, only homologation tests are mandatory. In Wallonia, these tests are carried out in manufacturer-owned facilities under the supervision of accredited private certifiers.
In Europe, a number of laboratories are equipped to carry out these tests (VCA in the UK, ORIBA in Germany, etc.). However, these organizations already carry out tests paid for by automakers as part of the homologation process.
INDEPENDENCE AND IMPARTIALITY
In order to ensure independence, impartiality and avoid any conflict of interest, Carlo DI ANTONIO proposes to entrust in-service conformity testing to the Institut Scientifique de Service Public (ISSeP). The Walloon metrology reference laboratory has the accreditation standards required to carry out these tests, as well as extensive experience in air quality measurements.
REMINDER
“The impacts of air pollution are numerous, recalls Carlo DI ANTONIO. Reports show that 16% of deaths can be attributed to environmental factors, the main contributor to which is air pollution. When it comes to air quality, it is imperative that we step up our efforts, particularly with regard to fine particles, nitrogen oxides, ozone and persistent pollutants”.
The creation of this laboratory is part of the Walloon policy ofhe fight against air pollution linked to the use of internal combustion vehicles. This policy includes
- The introduction of a system to enable local authorities to set up a low-emission zone on their territory;
- A gradual ban on the most polluting vehicles;
- Prohibition on keeping the engine running when stationary.
PRESS CONTACT:
Press Secretary to Minister DI ANTONIO – 0498/10.26.20