The Volvo Group, Stockholm, Sweden, is coordinating the European project BioDME, which is a cooperative project involving the fuel dimethyl ether (DME), according to Volvo information.
Other companies involved in the project include Chemrec, Delphi, ETC, Haldor Topsoe, Preem, and Total. Chemrec and Haldor Topsoe are slated to construct a plant for producing DME from biosource. Preem will implement the DME distribution and build service stations. Volvo will demonstrate DME technology for heavy vehicles in a field test. ETC will evaluate performance characteristics in the pilot plant, Delphi delivers fuel injection equipment for the truck engines, and Total will work on fuel and lube oil specifications.
Volvo said that vehicles powered by DME have low exhaust emissions, due among other factors to soot-free combustion. DME is a non-toxic chemical whose uses include that as a propellant gas in spray cans.