Second Brazilian City Switching to Ethanol-Diesel Blend

26 October 2005

The Brazilian City of Maringá, State of Paraná, has joined Rio de Janeiro in using O2Diesel’s proprietary ethanol-diesel blend.

The City of Maringá intends to gradually convert all 235 of its diesel-powered buses as well as other diesel equipment used by the municipality for maintenance and garbage collection services to O2Diesel’s cleaner burning ethanol-diesel fuel by mid-2006.

The City of Maringá is the first municipality to join MEU LUGAR (“My Place”), the Brazilian equivalent to the US CityHome program introduced by O2Diesel. (Earlier post.) MEU LUGAR is a clean air initiative that helps municipal transit systems reduce diesel emissions by burning O2Diesel.

The MEU LUGAR program was officially launched on 18 October by Silvio Barros, the Mayor of Maringá; Anisio Tormena, the President of ALCOPAR; and Peter Gross, the General Manager of O2Diesel in Brazil. ALCOPAR is the association of the sugar cane and ethanol producers of the State of Paraná and has actively supported the implementation of the MEU LUGAR program in Maringá.

The O2Diesel contains locally produced ethanol. O2Diesel uses 7.7% ethanol, with up to 1% proprietary additive and a cetane improver.