The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) expects distillate fuel oil consumption to increase in the fall as diesel-powered agricultural equipment is used to harvest and transport crops. The harvest tends to peak in mid-October and continue through November, when the start of the winter home heating season also supports distillate... Read more →

Rio Tinto will develop Pongamia seed farms in Australia as part of a new biofuels pilot. The project will explore the potential of Pongamia seed oil as a feedstock for renewable diesel. The pilot aims to determine if Pongamia seed oil can contribute to Rio Tinto’s renewable diesel needs while... Read more →

In the first five months of 2024, U.S. imports of renewable diesel averaged 30,000 barrels per day (b/d), approaching the monthly record set in May 2023, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). Most of the imports (94%) were destined for the US West Coast, where most of the... Read more →

A researcher at Brunel University in the UK has identified an optimal blend comprising oxymethylene ethers (OMEn = 1–5 series) with diesel aimed at simultaneously reducing soot and NOx emissions while enhancing fuel efficiency. Farhad Mazari identified the optimal blend through experimentation and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling. The study... Read more →

Phillips 66 announced the full conversion of the Rodeo Renewable Energy Complex, expanding commercial-scale production and positioning the company as a leader in renewable fuels. The Rodeo facility in the San Francisco Bay Area increased rates to approximately 50,000 BPD (800 million gallons per year), reaching the company’s goal of... Read more →

Topsoe is supplying its HydroFlex technology to Canadian startup Braya Renewable Fuels, which converted a former petroleum refinery to produce renewable diesel in Come By Chance, Canada. Braya anticipates initial production capacity of 18,000 barrels per day of renewable diesel, with future plans to expand production capacity, add sustainable aviation... Read more →

A new report from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) finds that the sharp growth in US renewable diesel production and capacity is causing significant, market-altering shifts both domestically and to foreign feedstock trade. Renewable diesel, like biodiesel, is produced from the same renewable feedstocks such as vegetable oils, animal... Read more →

OMV Petrom, the largest integrated energy producer in Southeast Europe, will invest approximately €750 million at Petrobrazi to transform the refinery into the first major producer of sustainable fuels in the region. The company has made the final investment decision to build a SAF/HVO facility along with two facilities for... Read more →

The predominant method for industrial green diesel production involves hydrotreating technology using sulfided CoMo or NiMo catalysts. However, the maintenance of these catalysts requires continuous replenishment of the sulfur source during operation, leading to increased costs, equipment corrosion, and sulfur contamination. Hence, the quest for a non-sulfur catalytic system to... Read more →

Neste welcomes the allowance of unrestricted sales of paraffinic diesel fuels according to the DIN EN 15940 fuel standard in Germany. The sales of unblended, 100% renewable diesel (also known as “HVO100”) has previously only been allowed in specific segments, such as in non-road vehicles and public transportation. The approval... Read more →

A research team led by Principal Researcher Young Kim from the Heat Pump Research Center of the Research Institute of Carbon-neutral Energy Machinery of the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM) has successfully developed a highly efficient microchannel reactor which reduces the required catalyst amount to 30% for electrofuel... Read more →

US distillate consumption so far this year is lower than usual because of warm winter weather, reduced manufacturing activity, and continued substitution of biofuels in place of petroleum distillate on the US West Coast (PADD 5), according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). As reported in EIA’s Weekly Petroleum... Read more →

Weichai Power unveiled a diesel engine with a base 53.09% brake thermal efficiency at the 2024 World Congress on Internal Combustion Engines in Tianjin. This achievement was officially recognized by TÜV SÜD, an international authoritative testing organization, and the China Automotive Technology & Research Center (CATARC), a professional testing body... Read more →

Mazda has introduced the three-row Mazda CX-80 in Europe. Following the launch of the CX-60, the all-new Mazda CX-80 is the second of two new models for Europe from the company’s Large Product group. It is the most spacious car in Mazda’s European line-up and will become the new flagship... Read more →

Phillips 66 announced a major milestone in its conversion of the San Francisco refinery into the Rodeo Renewable Energy Complex (earlier post), expanding commercial-scale production of renewable diesel. The Rodeo Renewed project has progressed, with the facility now processing only renewable feedstocks and producing approximately 30,000 barrels per day of... Read more →

BASF is now the first manufacturer to offer AdBlue as a ZeroPCF variant with a certified CO2 footprint (product carbon footprint = PCF) of <0.05 kg per kilogram of AdBlue. This value includes the amount of CO2 emitted in connection with the product during production up to the site gate... Read more →

Cummins Inc. has commissioned a diesel-hybrid mining truck in partnership with one of China’s leading rigid mining truck manufacturers, North Hauler Joint Stock Co., Ltd. (NHL). The hybrid NHL NTH260, a 220 metric ton payload mining truck, rolled off the production line in January and is headed to Baiyun Iron... Read more →

Volkswagen is significantly expanding the range of drive systems that are available for the new Passat: pre-sales of two new plug-in hybrid drives in Europe are now starting. The eHybrid models have outputs of 150 kW (204 PS) and 200 kW (272 PS). Electric ranges are up to 120 km... Read more →

Exposure to diesel exhaust particles triggers higher levels of inflammation, especially during a respiratory infection, according to researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Researchers found that diesel exhaust exposure impedes a process that boosts immune responses and modifies the body’s protective response to tissue-damaging immune cells.... Read more →

Cummins announced it will launch its most efficient heavy-duty diesel engine ever. As the next product in the Cummins HELM 15-liter fuel agnostic platform, the diesel X15 will be compliant with US EPA and CARB 2027 aligned regulations at launch. The next generation X15 diesel engine in North America will... Read more →

Toyota Motor is temporarily suspending shipments of 10 vehicle models equipped with the diesel engines from Toyota Industries Corporation (TICO), which are suffering from “certification irregularities.” Toyota Motor had commissioned TICO to develop diesel engines for automobiles. A special investigation into potential irregularities of certification regulationsfound that irregularities occurred during... Read more →

In Canada, Vancounver’s TransLink is introducing renewable diesel into its bus fleet as a cleaner fuel option, in order to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As a low-carbon fuel, renewable diesel offers up to an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to fossil fuel diesel. The Surrey Transit... Read more →

Researchers from the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, with colleagues from University of Jinan, have developed a novel electrification strategy to improve NOx removal performance at low temperatures. The study was published in Environmental Science & Technology. NOx storage reduction (NSR) is... Read more →

Chevrolet’s Tahoe and Suburban—the industry’s best-selling large SUVs—launch late next year with new designs, a more powerful diesel engine option available later in production and new technology enhancements designed to provide greater confidence and security behind the wheel. 2025 Tahoe Z71 (left) and 2025 Suburan High Country (right) The refined,... Read more →

Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL), the largest shipbuilding and maintenance facility in India, has ordered 2 × 2 × MAN 12V175D-MEV variable-speed GenSets in connection with the building of two short-sea hydrogen-fueled feeder container ships for global logistics company, Samskip Group, headquartered in Rotterdam. (Earlier post.) Known as the SeaShuttle project,... Read more →

Neste is partnering with PTL Marine to provide Neste MY Renewable Diesel to the marine sector across California. PTL Marine, a division of Pilot Thomas Logistics, is a leading provider of maritime fuel and lubricants, supplies and last-mile logistics. Through this collaboration the state’s marine industry will have easier access... Read more →

Pre-sales for the all-new Tiguan have started in Europe. The third generation of the Volkswagen SUV has been completely redesigned, and will offer eight different powertrain options, including new 48V mild-hybrid drives, a turbocharged diesel, and two new plug-in hybrid drives with an electric range of about 100 km. (Earlier... Read more →

A team from the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar has designed and built a non-catalytic autothermal reformer for liquid hydrocarbons for on-board hydrogen generation. To date, they have achieved a carbon conversion of 88% with an overall reformer efficiency of 82%. They expect further conversion and efficiency improvements once a... Read more →

The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, working together with Title and Technical Partner PETRONAS and our logistics partners, saved 339 tCO2e and reduced race and hospitality trucks and generator emissions by 67% through HVO100 biofuel use over the course of the 2023 Formula One European season. The combined 67% emissions reduction... Read more →

Perkins announced the development of the Perkins 2600 Series, a new 13-liter diesel engine platform designed to achieve best-in-class power density, torque and fuel efficiency for heavy duty off-highway applications. Targeting applications in agriculture, construction, and numerous other sectors, the new platform extends Perkins leadership in high-performing, mid-sized engines with... Read more →

In federal court in Brooklyn, the US. Department of Justice, on behalf of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), filed a complaint against eBay Inc. for unlawfully selling, offering for sale, causing the sale of, and distributing hundreds of thousands of products in violation of the Clean Air Act (CAA);... Read more →

Neste has expanded its capability to supply renewable fuels to customers on the West Coast of the United States in cooperation with Vopak, a leading energy industry infrastructure provider. Neste commissioned terminal capacity at Vopak’s Los Angeles terminal in California for storing Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and Neste... Read more →

Volvo Cars will end of production of all diesel-powered Volvo Car models by early 2024. In a few months from now, the last diesel-powered Volvo car will have been built, making Volvo Cars one of the first legacy car makers to take this step. This milestone follows the company’s decision... Read more →

Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have discovered a previously unknown key mechanism that could inform the development of new, more effective catalysts for abating NOx emissions from combustion engines burning diesel or low-carbon fuels. An open-access paper on their work is published in Nature Communications. SCR of NOx... Read more →

Aemetis, a renewable natural gas and renewable fuels company focused on negative carbon intensity products, received a Use Permit from the City of Riverbank to build a 90 million gallon per year sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel plant at the 125-acre Riverbank Industrial Complex in Riverbank, California. The Riverbank... Read more →

Cologne Bonn Airport has switched to Neste MY Renewable Diesel in its diesel-powered ground fleet. Neste’s renewable diesel (also known as HVO100) is made from 100% renewable raw materials, and it is in particular used for powering large and heavy vehicles such as the airport’s fire trucks, which are not... Read more →

Cummins announced approval of its entire line of diesel high horsepower engines across all ratings for use with unblended paraffinic fuels (EN15940), often referred to as renewable diesel, including hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO). Utilizing renewable diesels such as HVO are shown to reduce net greenhouse gas (GHG) emission by up... Read more →

Clean fuels replaced more than 50% of the diesel used in the state in the first quarter of 2023, according to the California Air Resources Board (CARB). California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), which requires fuel producers to reduce the carbon intensity of fuel sold in the state, is largely... Read more →

Marathon Petroleum Corporation selected Topsoe as the technology provider for renewable fuels production at the Martinez Renewable Fuels Facility in California. The facility, part of Marathon’s 50/50 joint venture with Neste, utilizes Topsoe’s HydroFlex technology to convert bio-feedstock into renewable diesel. The continued partnership between Topsoe and Marathon builds upon... Read more →

The production of renewable diesel at Neste’s Singapore refinery expansion has been restarted in early August, according to the company’s plans. The production line at the expanded part of the refinery was shut down in June for unexpected equipment repairs. The ramp-up of the production at the expanded part of... Read more →

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation introduced the fully redesigned Triton one-ton pickup truck in Bangkok, Thailand, with sales already commencing in Thailand. The all-new Triton will be rolled out in markets centering on the ASEAN and Oceania regions and is scheduled for launch in Japan in early 2024 for the first time... Read more →

California accounts for nearly all renewable diesel consumption in the United States, but most of it isn’t made in the state, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). More than eight times the renewable diesel was consumed in California than was produced there in 2021. Instead, most of California’s... Read more →

A power generator demo unit genset, relying on a first use of FuelAdaptive engine technologies patented by ClearFlame Engine Technologies, has successfully progressed through phase one trials. The trial was conducted by Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) in partnership with ClearFlame and Duke Energy. In addition to a series of... Read more →

Analysis of a study by S&P Global Mobility shows the number of new near-zero emission diesel trucks on the road in the US increased 10.2% between 2021 and 2022, according to the Diesel Technology Forum (DTF). Near-zero emission trucks are advanced diesel technology manufactured in the 2010 and later model... Read more →

Mitsubishi Motors will use a newly developed ladder frame, chassis and clean diesel engine in the all-new Triton one-ton pickup truck. The launch of the all-new Triton (sold as the L200 in some markets) is scheduled for 26 July in Bangkok, Thailand. The newly developed clean diesel turbo engine improves... Read more →

Rolls-Royce has approved its mtu Kinetic PowerPacks, based on the mtu Series 4000 and 1600 diesel engines, for use with renewable diesel (HVO/Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil) and the other synthetic diesel fuels of the EN15940 standard. With HVO the CO2 footprint of the mtu systems for dynamic uninterruptible power supply (DUPS)... Read more →

HF Sinclair selected Topsoe as a technology provider for the production of renewable fuels at three facilities: Sinclair, Wyoming; Cheyenne, Wyoming; and Artesia, New Mexico. The renewable units in Cheyenne (6,000 BPD) and Sinclair (10,000 BPD) are from the conversion of crude oil refinery assets whereas the Artesia (9,000 BPD)... Read more →

A research consortium led by Ford Research and Innovation Center Aachen is currently investigating the technical conditions under which diesel vehicles can run on dimethyl ether (DME) as an alternative fuel. DME is a gas that has similar physical properties to the liquid gases propane and butane and is also... Read more →

Consumption of distillate fuel oil in the US West Coast, as measured by product supplied, decreased to its lowest level since 2002 last year and continues its decline this year, according to the latest “This Week in Petroleum” report from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). The primary cause for... Read more →

Rio Tinto has successfully completed the full transition of its heavy machinery from fossil diesel to renewable diesel at its Boron, California operation, making it the first open pit mine in the world to achieve this milestone. The change to renewable diesel brings an anticipated CO2 equivalent reduction of up... Read more →