Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/240655
start News & updates from the Volvo world Future Technologies DME Shows Promise in Customer Tests The Volvo Group has conducted hundreds of thousands of miles of customer field testing of trucks equipped with DME, which can be produced from natural gas. The strong results – from ten vehicles operating in a variety of applications in Europe – indicate DME holds much promise as a heavy-truck fuel and could become a viable alternative in North America to CNG or LNG when it comes to performance, environmental impact, safety and distribution. DME mirrors the exceptional performance qualities and energy efficiency of diesel while significantly reducing GHG emissions when using biomass feedstock. It is an excellent compression ignition fuel which, like diesel, requires no separate ignition mechanism. Unlike LNG, it does not require cryogenic temperatures; it is handled like propane, with tank pressures of 75 psi (vs. 3,000 psi for CNG), and it is non-toxic. DME burns with a blue flame and requires no diesel particulate filter. DME packages densely enough to allow long-range transports or room for vocational truck equipment on the frame. Volvo Trucks and Safeway to Test Bio-DME-Powered Vehicles Volvo Trucks in North America will partner with Safeway Inc., one of the largest food and drug retailers in North America, and Oberon Fuels to test heavy-duty commercial vehicles powered by dimethyl ether (DME) produced from biomass. The project received $500,000 in funding from California's San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District and will be the second customer field test conducted by Volvo Trucks in the U.S. 6 DRIVER 'S DIGEST #1/2014 "We look forward to further validating DME technology for the trucking industry with Safeway and Oberon," said Göran Nyberg, president of Volvo Trucks North American Sales & Marketing. "We believe the fuel shows great potential for the North American market, and when produced from biomass, it can provide a 95 percent reduction in CO2 compared to diesel." Safeway decided to participate in the field tests because of the company's positive experience with Volvo trucks, as well as the company's focus on sustainability. "Safeway is very interested in alternative fuels, and we currently run Volvo trucks in our fleet," said Tom Nartker, vice president of transportation at Safeway. "We decided to test Volvo DME technology in our fleet because it is a natural fit with our sustainability strategy."