Promising future for Bio-DME as a vehicle fuel

The Bio-DME project aims to assess whether there is a market for Bio-DME (Di-Methyl-Ether) for commercial vehicles. Now, halfway through the two-year project, the preliminary results show that Bio-DME already functions in daily commercial operations. If diesel fuel were to be replaced by Bio-DME, CO2 emissions would be able to be reduced by a massive 95 per cent.

Together with a number of players including Bio-DME producer Chemrec and fuel distributor Preem, Volvo has developed a transport system that encompasses the entire chain from production and distribution of Bio-DME to operation in Volvo trucks in a number of haulage firms.

Ten Volvo Bio-DME trucks have now been in regular operation since last autumn and halfway through the project, the results surpass expectations. A short while ago the first of the ten trucks broke through the 100,000 km barrier and today all the trucks have together covered in excess of 400,000 km.

“This is the first time Bio-DME is being used as a vehicle fuel on a large scale and, following the first evaluation of the field test, we can see that the Bio-DME trucks function very well on the road, way exceeding our expectations. The technology is reliable and the entire process is characterised by energy-efficiency, from production and distribution all the way to the vehicles themselves,” says Per Salomonsson, Project Manager Alternative Fuels at Volvo.

PostNord and DHL are two of the haulage firms that are participating in the project. Both aim to drastically cut their CO2 emissions by 2020 and for both these companies their participation in the field test was a natural move.

“Our drivers are very pleased. They report that it is at least as easy to run on Bio-DME as it is on conventional diesel fuel. This is an entirely new technology, but we have nevertheless experienced very few technical problems and, what is more, the trucks run much more quietly with Bio-DME in the tank,” says Henrik Boding, Environmental Affairs Manager for the Logistics business area at PostNord.

“Since 98 per cent of our carbon dioxide emissions come from truck transportation, we see considerable potential in the excellent carbon dioxide efficiency of Bio-DME,” says Ulf Hammarberg, Manager Environmental Affairs, DHL.

Preem has now established four refuelling stations in Sweden (Stockholm, Goteborg, Jonkoping and Pitea) to ensure that the trucks can run in regular commercial operations.

The biofuel in this project is made from black liquor - a by-product of paper pulp production - at the Chemrec gasification plant in Pitea. The production system works smoothly and the possibility of delivering the fuel on a large scale depends to a considerable extent on any incentives available for renewable fuels.

“Bio-DME can also be made from other renewable raw materials but we feel this is a vehicle fuel with a great future. We’ve developed technology that makes it possible to use the fuel in commercial operations. The biggest challenge in the future is to establish a market and an infrastructure for a new vehicle fuel and this requires investment. Here society’s decision-makers have an important role to play in creating the essential preconditions by taking long-term decisions and developing incentives,” says Per Salomonsson.

The field test will continue until the end of 2012, followed by an evaluation to chart the viability of a future market for Bio-DME.

Posted in: Alternative Fuels,Bio-DME,Black Liquor,Chemrec Preem,Commercial Vehicles,DHL,Di-Methyl-Ether,Fuel,Green Technology,Henrik Boding,Per Salomonsson,PostNord,Sweden,Truck,Ulf Hammarberg,Volvo