VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA-- Westport Innovations (CA:WPT) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with China's Tsinghua University to co-research and demonstrate technologies using Hydrogen-Compressed Natural Gas (HCNG) in public bus fleets in Beijing and other Chinese cities. 

Westport and Tsinghua plan to study the performance, fuel economy, emissions, and economic impact of HCNG-fueled engines in Beijing, where over 2,000 Cummins Westport natural gas engines are currently in transit bus service. 

"Westport is pleased to be working with Tsinghua University to advance technological development of hydrogen and hydrogen natural gas blends in commercially available internal combustion engines. These near-term technologies can take advantage of decades of experience with engines while dramatically reducing NOx and other pollutants as compared to conventional oil-based fuelled engines," says Dr. Michael Gallagher, Westport's Chief Operating Officer. 

Westport's project team will be led by Dr. Patric Ouellette, Westport's Chief Technology Officer. "We are proud to work with one of China's most prestigious technological institutions with its world-class, state-of-the-art research facilities and scientific team. This collaboration allows us to participate in finding solutions to air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and dependence on fossil fuels," says Dr. Ouellette. "This relationship will allow us to add to the growing knowledge we are generating on hydrogen natural gas blends operation, along with our on-going project in SunLine California and the one we are developing in Vancouver". 

Westport Innovations Inc. develops, manufactures and sells a wide range of engines for commercial transportation applications such as trucks and buses through Cummins Westport Inc., its joint venture with Cummins Inc. Technology development alliances are in place with a number of other leading engine manufacturers to develop engines that operate using cleaner-burning fuels such as natural gas, propane, hydrogen, and blended fuels such as HCNG. 

Located in Beijing, Tsinghua University is China's national center for engineering and the sciences. With 8 colleges and 43 departments, 44 research institutes, 9 engineering research centers, and 163 laboratories, including 15 national key laboratories, Tsinghua has over 20,000 students, including 6,200 master's degrees candidates and 2,800 doctoral candidates. 

Note: This document contains forward-looking statements about Westport's business, operations, technology development or to the environment in which it operates, which are based on Westport's estimates, forecasts and projections. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict, or are beyond Westport's control. Consequently, readers should not place any undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. In addition, these forward-looking statements relate to the date on which they are made. Westport disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.