Caterpillar Inc. has signed cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) to investigate using methanol as an alternative fuel source for four-stroke marine engines with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).

Under the terms of the CRADA, ORNL researchers will work with Caterpillar over the next few years to identify, develop and test hardware configurations and operating strategies required to maximise the use of methanol in engines retrofitted for methanol.

Research will be conducted on Caterpillar’s in-line 6-cylinder marine engine that has been modified for methanol use and installed at DOE’s National Transportation Research Center at ORNL.