After systematically studying multiple catalyst compositions, researchers at KAUST and Umicore have clarified the role of cerium (Ce) in Mn-based oxide catalysts for the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx with NH3 at temperatures below 200 °C. An open-access paper on the study appears in Nature Communications. Recent developments in... Read more →

by Michael Sivak, Sivak Applied Research. This post examines the recent changes in the costs of powering gasoline, diesel, and electric vehicles. The expectation was that the cost of electricity had recently increased much less than the costs of gasoline and diesel. The reason is that, in the United States,... Read more →

Cresta Funds Management (Cresta) has chosen Topsoe’s HydroFlex solution for revamping the Braya Renewable Fuels refinery (Braya) in Newfoundland, Canada. The refinery will produce up to 18,000 barrels per day of Renewable Diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) initially; the capacity will increase further in various stages of expansion. The... Read more →

Canada-based dynaCERT Inc. has sold seven of its HydraGEN on-board electrolysis units ( the HG1R, 4C and 6C units) which are to be installed in Peru, Argentina and Brazil in open-pit mines on various equipment, including Caterpillar 793 and 777 Haul Trucks and a large 4.5 MW diesel generator with... Read more →

On 16 May 2022, the average US on-highway retail diesel fuel price was $5.61 per gallon (gal)—a $2.00/gal increase from January 3, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). Although retail diesel prices have increased across the entire United States, prices in the Northeast have increased the most and... Read more →

In 2010, researchers from the Beijing Institute of Technology proposed a new combustion system for diesel engines: the Double Swirl Combustion System (DSCS) (Li et al. 2010). Within the DSCS, the Double Swirl (DS) chamber is one of the most noticeable factors in the new system. The configuration of DS... Read more →

UK-based Clean Air Power has demonstrated a Freightliner Class 66 locomotive running on hydrogen to reduce its carbon emission output. Clean Air Power achieved this by fitting the Class 66 with its precision injection technology, allowing the two-stroke diesel locomotive to run on a combination of diesel, biogas and hydrogen.... Read more →

Parkland, an independent supplier and marketer of fuel and petroleum products and a leading convenience store operator, plans to increase renewable fuel production at its Burnaby Refinery in British Columbia. The company said it will expanding existing co-processing volumes to approximately 5,500 barrels per day, and build a stand-alone renewable... Read more →

Phillips 66 made a final investment decision Wednesday to move forward with Rodeo Renewed, the project to convert its San Francisco Refinery in Rodeo, California, into one of the world’s largest renewable fuels facilities. The project, which recently received approval from Contra Costa County (earlier post), is expected to cost... Read more →

Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) demonstrated the effectiveness of its patented and award-winning CAT-DEF technology during the WCX World Congress Experience in Detroit in April. CAT-DEF—Catalyzed Diesel Exhaust Fluid—is an SwRI-developed catalyst- and surfactant-modified diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) solution. The internally funded advancement successfully reduced heavy-duty diesel engine nitrogen oxide (NOx)... Read more →

Volvo Trucks has increased the shifting speed of its intelligent and automated I-Shift gearbox by up to 30%. The quicker response provides improved driveability and smoothness to the driving of both diesel and electric heavy-duty trucks. The significant driveability improvement, which has been added to drivelines at all emission levels,... Read more →

The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the land-use permit necessary to reconfigure the San Francisco Refinery in Rodeo to produce renewable fuels. (Earlier post.) Under a permitting review process overseen by County leaders and under authority of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the plant can now... Read more →

ClearFlame Engine Technologies, a startup developing net-zero engine technology (earlier post), announced the publication of an independent study that finds ClearFlame’s technology could help fleet owners and other heavy-duty truck operators lower total costs while meeting sustainability goals sooner than currently available alternatives. The study was conducted by Gladstein, Neandross... Read more →

Refuel Energy Inc. is planning to build a 3,000 barrels per day (bpd) renewable fuel plant (Refuel YYZ) in Southern Ontario. Refuel YYZ will produce renewable diesel (RD), sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), and renewable hydrogen for the domestic market. The proposed facility would supply the aviation and terrestrial fuel needs... Read more →

Achates Power has released initial in-use NOx measurements from the cleaner, heavy-duty diesel engine it developed in a project funded by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and several partners. Achates Power previously announced the opposed-piston has entered fleet service with WALMART Corporation in a Peterbilt 579 tractor. (Earlier post.)... Read more →

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) pathways for certain biofuels that are produced from canola/rapeseed oil (earlier post) and is providing an opportunity for comment on the Agency’s lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) analysis of these pathways. With the approval, these fuel pathways... Read more →

Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and John Barrasso (R-WY) led their colleagues in introducing the Renewable Diesel and Sustainable Aviation Fuel Parity Act of 2022. The legislation is cosponsored by Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), and Steve Daines (R-MO). The bill would require the Department of Energy to... Read more →

Mercedes-Benz Trucks is introducing the third generation of its OM 471 heavy-duty diesel engine this year; the engine will deliver increased fuel efficiency and compliance with the strictest emissions standards such as Euro VIe. The third generation of the OM 471 installed in the Mercedes-Benz Actros and the Mercedes-Benz Arocs... Read more →

Achates Power announced that the 10.6-liter, heavy-duty opposed-piston, three-cylinder diesel engine it developed in a project funded by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and several partners (earlier post) has entered fleet service with WALMART Corporation in a Peterbilt 579 tractor. It is the only diesel engine operating on the... Read more →

Renewable Energy Group has introduced a line of branded fuel solutions, EnDura Fuels. This branded product launch supports Renewable Energy Group’s ongoing efforts to help the transport industry meet its sustainability and business growth objectives, while strengthening the company’s position in the marketplace. The EnDura Fuels line consists of five... Read more →

In its Annual Energy Outlook 2022 (AEO2022) Reference case, which reflects current laws and regulations, the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects that renewable diesel supply (domestic production and net imports) will exceed biodiesel supply in the near term. EIA projects that renewable diesel supply will increase to 130,000 barrels... Read more →

Wabtec and BNSF Railway are partnering on a new biofuel project aimed at quantifying the impact of alternative fuels on emissions, durability, and performance in Wabtec locomotives. BNSF and Wabtec will begin testing biofuel in the second quarter of this year. The two companies will demonstrate the performance of biodiesel... Read more →

At the International Engine Congress in Baden-Baden (Germany), Liebherr-Components AG and US-based Tula Technology presented the results of their joint study on heavy machinery. Based on simulations, Tula’s diesel Dynamic Skip Fire (dDSF) software (earlier post) allowed the reduction of NOx tailpipe emissions by 41% and CO2by 9.5%. For this... Read more →

bp and Honeywell have signed a licensing agreement for Honeywell UOP’s Ecofining technology. bp is undergoing pre-feed engineering for its proposed diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) project in Western Australia. bp plans to convert hydroprocessing equipment at its former refinery site in Kwinana, Australia, to produce approximately 10,000 barrels... Read more →

Neste Corporation has signed definitive agreements for the establishment of a 50/50 joint venture with US-based Marathon Petroleum (Marathon). The joint venture will produce renewable diesel following a conversion project of Marathon’s refinery in Martinez, California (the Martinez Renewable Fuels project). The closing of the joint venture is subject to... Read more →

Canada’s Ocean Supercluster announced its largest project to date, the $65-million Clean Ocean Advanced Biofuels Project. In the project, Ontario-based Valent Low Carbon Technologies will work with a pan-Canadian team to produce Canada’s first renewable diesel from abundantly available agricultural and forestry by-products. A major ocean industry challenge is the... Read more →

ClearFlame Engine Technologies, a a startup developing net-zero engine technology (earlier post), successfully completed an on-road demonstration of its proprietary technology that enables a heavy-duty truck diesel engine to operate on low-carbon and carbon-negative fuels, including 100% renewable plant-based fuels. The demonstration of ClearFlame’s engine technology was implemented by taking... Read more →

Emerging Fuels Technology (EFT), a technology company focused on methods for producing synthetic fuels from feedstocks such as natural gas, flared gas, biogas, biomass, municipal solid waste, CO2 and more, introduced its Maxx Jet and Maxx Diesel proprietary methods, which employ a unique catalyst system made for EFT by Haldor... Read more →

The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) has released a report prepared by the consultancy Cerulogy that explores the potential market and environmental impacts of increased capacity for renewable diesel produced by hydrotreating oils and fats in the US. The United States currently supports renewable diesel supply through the federal... Read more →

Researchers from three US Department of Energy (DOE) labs—Argonne National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)—have investigated the economic and environmental implications of producing bioblendstocks for diesel fuels from two wet waste-to-fuel pathways: hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) from yellow grease and... Read more →

The City of New York will invest $420 million in electric vehicles, charging infrastructure, and alternative fuels to accelerate the transition to an all-electric municipal vehicle fleet. The new investments, the largest ever made in the electrification of a public vehicle fleet, will help the City achieve an all-electric fleet... Read more →

Aemetis, a renewable fuels company focused on negative carbon intensity products (earlier post), has signed a 10-year, 450-million-gallon renewable diesel supply agreement with an industry-leading travel stop company, which is expected to generate more than $3 billion in revenue. The renewable diesel to be supplied under the agreement will fuel... Read more →

The California Air Resources Board approved a smog-check regulation for medium- and heavy-duty trucks and buses. While these heavy-duty vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) greater than 14,000 pounds comprise only 3% of all vehicles on California roads, they are responsible for more than 50% of nitrogen oxides... Read more →

Cummins Inc. announced approval of its entire line of diesel generator sets for use with paraffinic fuels (EN15940), including hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), when used in standby applications. This announcement comes as part of Cummins overall commitment to develop innovative solutions that enable decarbonization, and proactively advance the company’s current... Read more →

Power management company Eaton’s Vehicle Group has demonstrated cylinder deactivation (CDA) as an effective technology for meeting future global emissions requirements for diesel-engine powered commercial vehicles. To date, the technology has been evaluated with a close-coupled selective catalytic reduction (SCR) aftertreatment system with and without a 48-volt electric heater. New... Read more →

Ford has revealed the next-generation Ranger mid-size pickup truck. Order books for next-generation Ranger will open in Europe in late 2022 for customer delivery in early 2023. The current Ranger is Europe’s pick-up segment leader and recently set a new September year-to-date sales record of 45,539 units, with market share... Read more →

The Oregon Environmental Quality Commission approved the Clean Trucks Rule, which adopts California’s Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) Rule and Heavy-Duty Engine and Vehicle Omnibus rules (HD Omnibus) for Oregon. Under the ACT Rule, Oregon requires medium- and heavy-duty vehicle manufacturers to sell zero-emission vehicles as a certain percentage of sales,... Read more →

Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd., Subaru Corporation, Toyota Motor Corporation, Mazda Motor Corporation, and Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. jointly announced that, toward the achievement of carbon neutrality, they will take on the challenge of expanding fuel options through the use of internal combustion engines at the (three-hour) Super Taikyu Race in... Read more →

Evolve Transition Infrastructure LP, a publicly traded limited partnership focused on the acquisition, development and ownership of infrastructure critical to the transition of energy supply to lower carbon sources, and HOBO Renewable Diesel, LLC, a renewable fuel project developer, announced an agreement for Evolve to fund the construction of HOBO’s... Read more →

Canadian National Railway Company (CN) and Progress Rail, A Caterpillar Company are partnering with Renewable Energy Group (REG) to test high-level renewable fuel blends including both biodiesel and renewable diesel in support of the companies’ sustainability goals. Trials and qualifications of up to 100% bio-based diesel fuel are important steps... Read more →

ClearFlame Engine Technologies, a startup developing net-zero engine technology (earlier post), has secured $17 million in Series A financing, which will enable commercialization of the company’s innovative engine technology for the long-haul trucking, agriculture and power generation sectors. The financing was led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures with participation from Mercuria,... Read more →

Hydra Energy, the Hydrogen-as-a-Service (HaaS) provider for commercial fleets looking to reduce emissions and costs with limited risk and no up-front investment (earlier post), has delivered its first hydrogen-converted, heavy-duty truck to paying fleet customer Lodgewood Enterprises. Hydra offers a proven hydrogen-diesel, co-combustion retrofit approach; the retrofitted engines can run... Read more →

Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) is helping a client develop a simple post-refinery treatment process that reduces exhaust emissions from diesel engines by overcoming the soot/nitrogen oxides (NOx) reduction trade-off that has plagued engine researchers for decades. The result is a modified fuel that potentially could replace today’s ultra-low sulfur diesel,... Read more →

Researchers from Monash University and Hokkaido University have developed a method to produce dimethoxymethane (DMM)—a diesel blend fuel currently of great research interest—via CO2 hydrogenation in methanol over a novel ruthenium-based catalyst. DMM thus produced could be used as a fuel in a conceptual circular carbon cycle when produced using... Read more →

The enhanced D13 Turbo Compound (D13TC) engine from Volvo Trucks is now standard on all Volvo VNL models, providing enhanced fuel efficiency and reducing overall cost of ownership. In Europe and other key markets, the D13TC engine has exceeded expectations and has proven to be fuel efficient, reliable and popular... Read more →

In Hiroshima, Mazda Motor Corporation announced plans to expand its SUV lineup globally starting from 2022. The new models will include the Mazda CX-50 to be produced in its new US plant, as well as models in our Large Product group, including the Mazda CX-60, Mazda CX-70, Mazda CX-80 and... Read more →

New research by economic and public policy consulting group M.Cubed finds a proliferation of backup generators across California, with nearly 90% being diesel-fueled, posing significant obstacles to achieving greenhouse gas reduction targets and driving nearly $136 million in annual health costs. Over the last year, the generator population jumped by... Read more →

Biofuels producer Renewable Energy Group joined Iowa State University (ISU) at the BioCentury Research Farm (BCRF) to mark the start of a new hydrotreater pilot plant. This project is the result of a three-year collaboration between REG and the ISU Bioeconomy Institute. REG converts waste and byproduct fats and oils... Read more →

bp plans to invest $269 million investment in three projects at its Cherry Point Refinery in Washington state, aimed at improving the refinery’s efficiency, reducing its carbon dioxide emissions and increasing its renewable diesel production capability. The investment is aligned with bp’s aims to be net zero across its operations... Read more →

A new total cost of ownership (TCO) study from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) finds that battery-electric and fuel-cell electric commercial trucks could be economically competitive with conventional diesel trucks by 2025 in some operating scenarios. Spatial and Temporal Analysis of the Total Cost of Ownership for Class 8... Read more →