A California company is launching an "industry-first" alternative fuel technology for heavy duty trucks.
Oberon Fuels of San Diego has developed a process of turning biogas and natural gas into dimethyl ether or DME. The company has partnered with Volvo Trucks to test DME's performance in heavy duty commercial trucks.
Oberon's President, Rebecca Boudreaux said DME is a clean burning fuel that can reduce the carbon-footprint of heavy duty transportation.
"When DME combusts in an engine there's no soot, no particulate matter, no black smoke out of a truck," Boudreaux explained.
Volvo wants to commercialize DME-powered vehicles in North America by 2015. Oberon has received a 500-thousand dollar grant from the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District to produce fuel-grade DME at its new plant in Brawley.
