Volvo FH Diesel Trucks Use Bio-DME Fuel

As the first manufacturer in the world to use Bio-DME (Di-Methyl-Ether) as a vehicle fuel, Volvo announced it has prepared the first five DME Volvo FH trucks to operate on Sweden’s roads. The field test will take place over a two-year period and its aim is to demonstrate the potential for large-scale investment in DME produced from biomass.

Preem will build filling stations so that the trucks can be used in regular regional and local operations. The company inaugurated the first a DME filling station in Stockholm today, with additional stations to be opened in Göteborg, Jönköping and Piteå.

The haulage companies initially participating in the field test are Green Cargo, DHL, Posten Logistik and Volvo Logistics via J-Trans.

"From an over-riding perspective, Bio-DME is one of the most promising second-generation biofuels. It provides both high energy efficiency and extremely low emissions of greenhouse gases. These are the properties we value particularly highly when we analyse potential alternative fuels," stated Volvo Trucks Environmental Director Lars Mårtensson.

Compared with diesel fuel, Bio-DME produces no less than 95 percent less carbon dioxide emissions, while delivering a lower noise level compared with traditional engines. DME can be produced both from natural gas and from various types of biomass. When it is made from biomass, it is known as Bio-DME.

In this project the Bio-DME is produced from black liquor, an energy-rich, viscous by-product of the pulp industry. Chemrec's pilot plant in Piteå has the capacity to produce four tonnes of Bio-DME a day.

In the EU, the assessment is that Bio-DME could theoretically replace half of today's diesel usage for heavy commercial transportation by 2030.