Today in Tolmin, together with the European Commissioner for Transport, Violeta Bulc, we opened a new high-tech, fully automated production line for Optymus PSG, developed and manufactured by us. This is the official start of the serial production of this innovative diesel engine cold start system with pressure sensor.

With its Optymus PSG system, Hidria largely contributes to the further development of green environment-friendly diesel technologies of the future. This is one of the greatest achievements of the contemporary Slovenian industry, largely resounding also at the European and global levels. The system is installed in the diesel engine combustion chamber. It collects data on the pressure in the engine more than 100,000 times a second and communicates them via microelectronics and a digital algorithm to the central engine computer. Optymus PSG thus in real time optimises the injection of fuel and other parameters crucial for optimal combustion. Consequently, fuel consumption and emissions drop radically.

As of this year, our system is already used in modern diesel cars by the world's largest manufacturers, including the Volkswagen Group with its popular car makes Audi, VW, Seat and Škoda. Their new diesel engines thus meet all current and new emission regulations that will enter into force in 2020. The high-technology and fully automated production line for manufacturing the system, developed and built by Hidria, is the most modern in the world. It is constructed according to the industry 4.0 principles by means of laser welding. Owing to an innovative use of the industrial vision system, it enables full production traceability.

In this way, Hidria enables the development of green mobility of the future, part of which are and will be clean and highly efficient internal combustion engines. The solemn opening of the line in Tolmin was also attended by the European Commissionaire for Transport Violeta Bulc, who emphasises that, in the last year, the Commission has presented a series of strategies for transport decarbonisation and environmental protection, and added that she was glad to see such highly innovative technology developed in Slovenia with a high-technology line for developing green diesel technology opened, and that decisive steps were made in the car industry that will contribute to a cleaner and healthier environment.

Meanwhile, our Corporation, with responsibility to the environment and people, intensifies the development of green technologies of the future both in the area of internal combustion engines and electric motor drives, thus providing clean, efficient and friendly solutions for a green mobility of the future.