Volvo to co-ordinate broad co-operation on sustainable biofuels

The Volvo Group is the co-ordinator for the European project BioDME, which is starting its work today. BioDME is a unique Dimethylether (DME) co-operative fuel project and involves the automotive industry as well as fuel producers and distributors. The project will demonstrate the entire technology chain - from biomass to trucks powered by DME fuel - including fuel distribution and filling stations.

The project partners represent all industrial sectors necessary to introduce a new fuel. In addition to Volvo, Chemrec, Delphi, ETC, Haldor Topsøe and the oil companies Preem and Total are partners in the project. Chemrec and Haldor Topsøe will construct the world’s first plant for producing DME from biosource. Preem will implement the DME distribution and build filling 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.

“Already one year ago, Volvo presented seven trucks that could all be operated carbon-dioxide neutral. The BioDME project is an example of what the next step could look like and illustrates the possibilities of producing renewable fuel on a major scale”, says Volvo Group CEO Leif Johansson.

The project is co-financed by the partners of the consortium, EU’s Seventh Framework Program (FP7) and the Swedish Energy Agency.

DME has potential to become a highly competitive renewable alternative to today’s fossil fuels. DME from biosource is characterised by high energy efficiency and minimal climate impact. DME vehicles have very low exhaust emissions, due among other factors to soot-free combustion. DME is a non-toxic chemical that is already used today as propellant gas in spray cans.