The energy authorities in Sweden have now granted AB Volvo SEK62m in support for technical development of the third-generation DME engine for heavy vehicles during the period 2006-2010.
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DME is a fuel that becomes a liquid at relatively low pressure and is produced through gasification of various renewable substance or fossil fuels. The synthetic gas that is formed is then catalysed to produce DME.
DME is commonly used today as a propellant gas in spray cans and is attractive for Scandinavia because it is possible to produce it from black liquor, a residual product from pulp paper production.
The project will deliver automotive technology for a major field test with DME-powered trucks planned for the years 2009 and 2010. AB Volvo is also investing a large amount in the project.
A small field test will be initiated already in slightly less than a year with trucks based on the second-generation DME technology, which was presented in 2005.
Volvo’s own studies have shown that DME has potential to become a competitive alternative to today’s fossil fuels. One of the most significant arguments for DME is that it is the alternative fuel with the highest energy efficiency and among the lowest in emissions of carbon dioxide and particles, according to Volvo.
