ENGINE maker Cummins is working years ahead of schedule in developing low-emission engines for regulations to be introduced in 2013, the company has revealed.

The world-leading firm’s Darlington plant is already well on its way to achieving standards expected to be laid out in the Euro 6 emissions legislation, which will raise already stringent standards in cutting carbon even higher.

Cummins, which employs 156 of its 600-strong North- East workforce solely for the research and development of new engines, has already made engines which comply with the Enhanced Environmentally- friendly Vehicle (EEV) accreditation.

The US-owned company has managed to develop an EEV-compliant engine without the need for an extra exhaust system – a feat which puts the company ahead of its competitors.

The emissions advances made by the Darlington plant are renowned, with its engines being commissioned by Chinese authorities for use in its buses for last year’s Beijing Olympics. The Cummins plant in China was overlooked in favour of the low-emission systems being developed in the North-East.

Yesterday, Martin Callanan, MEP for the North- East who sits as part of the European Environment Committee, visited the Darlington plant and hailed its work as “world-class”.

He said: “We have a site here that is leading the world in this field, but its operation is much more than manufacturing.

It also encompasses testing, assembly, research and development of new products – there is a lot more going on than I realised.

“It is a huge advantage for the region to have such a site here, which also employs hundreds of people, which places us at the cutting edge of technology.”

Mike McCabe, Darlington plant manager, said he believes the factory will be wellpositioned to emerge from the recession, although conceded it has been badly affected.

From employing nearly 1,000 people a year ago, the Yarm Road site now has 600 workers, and has seen a dramatic drop in orders.

However, Mr McCabe said that despite the turmoil, the plant’s work to stay ahead of the field has not faltered, and he welcomed regulations which certified that.

He said: “A lot of companies don’t want to be legislated against but we welcome it as a way to show our competitive advantage over other companies.

“We are well on the way to keeping up with legislation as it moves forward, and we are quite happy for it to be in place as soon as possible.”