Scania’s Latest Natural Gas Engine Designed for Long-Distance Transport

Scania has introduced the new OC13 natural gas engine designed for long-distance transport and use on construction sites. The OC13 is based on Scania’s well-proven 13-liter engine that employs stoichiometric combustion, combustion initiated with spark plugs. The pre-mixing of the fuel takes place upon entry into the cylinders.

“Throughout development, our aim has been to ensure the best possible drivability,” explains Folke Fritzson, Senior Engineer at Scania R&D and part of the team developing Scania’s gas engines. “The performance and characteristics should correspond to that of a modern diesel engine.”

The new 13-litre gas engine is always available with Scania Opticruise, Scania’s automated gearboxes, and both CNG and LNG tanks can be ordered directly from Scania.

Gas engines that employ stoichiometric combustion have shorter service intervals than diesel engines. However, Scania has achieved a significantly longer service interval, with the lifespan of the spark plugs currently setting the limit.

“We have defined the interval at 45,000 kilometres for both the spark-plug and oil changes with normal use,” says Fritzson. “This is a clear improvement over previous generation gas engines, with 30,000 kilometres as normal intervals. This reduces maintenance costs and increases availability.”