US petroleum product exports totaled nearly 6.0 million barrels per day (b/d) in the first half of 2023, 2% more than during the same period in 2022, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). The first half of 2023 saw the most US petroleum product exports during the first... Read more →

Researchers at Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), with colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Illinois at Chicago have developed an electrolyzer capable of converting carbon dioxide into propane in a manner that is both scalable and economically viable. A paper on the work is published in... Read more →

Westport Fuel Systems has been designated as the supplier of liquified petroleum gas (LPG) systems to a global original equipment manufacturer (OEM). This is in addition to the previously announced production supply agreement, adding new Euro 7 vehicle platforms planned for production by the OEM. This is forecasted to generate... Read more →

DCC plc, an international sales, marketing and support services group, has partnered with Oberon Fuels, the leading producer of renewable dimethyl ether (DME) (earlier post), to advance the design, construction and operations of multiple renewable DME production plants in Europe. The companies have completed an initial feasibility study which confirmed... Read more →

HP Taxis, Prins Alternative Fuel Systems and SBL-Automotive revealed https://bi-fuel-taxis-lcvs.com of the plug-in hybrid range-extended electric LEVC TX taxi and VN5 van allowing the range extender engine to run on LPG and CNG and their renewable counterparts of biopropane and biomethane. The LEVC TX and VN5 are manufactured by London... Read more →

Westport Fuel Systems Inc. has been awarded a program to develop and supply liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) systems for a number of vehicle applications for a global original equipment manufacturer (OEM). The deal is forecasted to provide €38 million in revenue through the end of 2025, with production expected to... Read more →

Oberon Fuels announced commercial availability of a blend of propane and Oberon’s renewable DME (dimethyl ether). This blend replaces some of propane’s fossil-derived fuel with a renewable one, enabling up to a 60% reduction in carbon emissions for this popular fuel used in vehicles, forklifts, farm equipment, backyard grills and... Read more →

SHV Energy and LanzaTech are partnering to employ LanzaTech’s Carbon Capture and Transformation (CCT) technology to bring renewable propane and other sustainable fuels to the market via existing and novel pathways. The collaboration will further expand LanzaTech’s existing CCT technology and synthetic biology platform, which transforms waste carbon into sustainable... Read more →

ROUSH CleanTech is the first original equipment manufacturer to receive California Air Resources Board’s (CARB’s) 0.02 grams per brake horsepower-hour certification for 2022 model year vehicles. The optional ultra-low CARB certification is 90% cleaner than current emissions standards for nitrogen oxides. The new engine certification covers ROUSH CleanTech Gen 5... Read more →

UGI Corporation has entered into a 15-year agreement with California-based technology developer Vertimass to utilize their catalytic technology to produce renewable fuels from renewable ethanol in the US and Europe. Vertimass is developing a unique Consolidated Alcohol Deoxygenation and Oligomerization (CADO) technology to allow ethanol producers to: Produce sustainable aviation... Read more →

U-Haul—the largest US retailer of propane—has purchased one million gallons of renewable propane to sell at its company-owned and -operated stores across California for the second year in row. (Earlier post.) U-Haul teamed again with national distributor Suburban Propane Partners, L.P., to continue supplying the fuel at more than 60... Read more →

SHV Energy and UGI International, a subsidiary of UGI Corporation, leading distributors of off-grid energy, intend to launch a joint venture to advance the production and use of Renewable Dimethyl Ether (rDME), a low-carbon sustainable liquid gas, to accelerate renewable solutions for the LPG industry. rDME is a liquid gas... Read more →

A team at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has achieved diesel-like efficiency in a single-cylinder spark-ignition (SI) research engine while maintaining compatibility with stoichiometric 3-way catalyst (TWC) systems. A paper on their work is published in the International Journal of Engine Research. The ORNL team conducted engine experiments with both... Read more →

This spring, Blue Bird will begin production of its propane and gasoline Vision school buses integrating Ford’s all-new 7.3L V8 engine and a purpose-built fuel system designed specifically for school-bus application. The advanced fuel system technology was developed by ROUSH CleanTech, the same company that has manufactured more than 30,000... Read more →

The LiquidPiston (LPI) (earlier post) team has adapted and demonstrated the X-Mini engine running on propane fuel. A propane tank was connected to the engine through an EFI propane injector, and the engine ignition timing was retarded in the ECU. With a little adjustment to injector pulse settings, the engine... Read more →

ROUSH CleanTech began production of its Gen 5 propane autogas fuel system last month. The company’s innovative propane autogas technology integrates Ford’s new 7.3L V8 engine in Class 3-7 chassis. Ford’s new 7.3L engine is compact, durable and easy to maintain. It is narrower than the previous 6.8L, allowing it... Read more →

U-Haul has purchased its first million gallons of renewable propane, which is available to customers at U-Haul autogas facilities across Southern California. U-Haul, the largest retailer of propane in the US, teamed with national distributor Suburban Propane Partners, L.P., to supply the fuel. Suburban Propane also recently invested in renewable... Read more →

Suburban Propane Partners, L.P., a nationwide distributor of propane, fuel oil and related products and services, as well as a marketer of natural gas and electricity, is purchasing a 39% stake in Oberon Fuels, a San Diego, CA-based development-stage producer of low-carbon, renewable dimethyl ether (rDME) transportation fuel. Oberon has... Read more →

For the first time, some US Postal Service packages are being delivered via emission-reducing propane autogas trucks. McAbee Trucking, a freight shipping and trucking company based in Blacksburg, SC, purchased eight Ford F-750 delivery trucks fueled by propane autogas, a domestically produced, clean and economical alternative fuel. The vehicles are... Read more →

In a partnership with the New Mexico Public Education Department, Los Lunas Public Schools, Magdalena Municipal School District and Moriarty-Edgewood School District have each purchased school buses fueled by propane autogas. The 17 Blue Bird Vision Propane buses will be the first propane buses to operate in the state. Our... Read more →

Oberon Fuels, a producer of ultra-low-carbon, renewable dimethyl ether (rDME) transportation fuel, and SHV Energy, the world’s largest distributor of propane fuel, are partnering to accelerate the use of renewable DME to reduce the carbon footprint of transportation fuel. With only a 20% blend of rDME, propane’s carbon intensity (CI)... Read more →

Borealis, a leading provider of innovative polyolefin solutions; and Neste, the world’s leading provider of renewable diesel, renewable jet fuel, and an expert in delivering drop-in renewable chemical solutions, are entering into strategic co-operation for the production of renewable polypropylene (PP). The co-operation will enable Borealis to start using Neste’s... Read more →

According to a study commissioned by the Washington, DC-based Propane Education & Research Council (PERC), NOx emissions measured from propane autogas school buses were substantially lower than those measured from diesel school buses. The study was conducted in 2018 by West Virginia University’s Center of Alternatives Fuels, Engines, and Emissions... Read more →

UK-based spaceflight company Orbex unveiled its Prime rocket, which is designed to deliver small satellites into Earth’s orbit. The completed engineering prototype of the Stage 2 rocket (the stage that will transit into orbital flight after launch) is made from a specially-formulated lightweight carbon fiber and aluminum composite and includes... Read more →

Jiangnan Shipyard, owned by China State Shipbuilding Corp (CSSC), has ordered an LPG (liquefied propane gas)-burning MAN B&W 6G60ME-LGIP engine in connection with the building of an 86,000-m3 VLGC (Very Large Gas Carrier) for Tianjin Southwest Maritime (TSM), the Chinese shipping company. Vessel delivery is scheduled for the second half... Read more →

Alternative-fuel technology company ROUSH CleanTech has developed the first available propane autogas engine certified to California Air Resources Board’s (CARB’s) optional low oxides of nitrogen emissions standard for heavy-duty engines with 0.02 grams per brake horsepower-hour (g/bhp-hr). (Earlier post.) The engine is 90% cleaner than the current Environmental Protection Agency’s... Read more →

Blue Bird is providing the cleanest propane engine available for school buses on the market, with this version being 90% cleaner than the current emissions standard and 10 times cleaner than any non-Blue Bird propane school bus option available today. Blue Bird’s Vision Propane buses now offer an optional ultra-low... Read more →

Calor, an SHV Energy company and the UK’s leading supplier of LPG, has become the first energy company to supply BioLPG to homes and businesses across Britain. On 16 March, SHV Energy received the first delivery of BioLPG (biopropane) from the Neste Biofuels production facility in Rotterdam. (Earlier post.) This... Read more →

Neste has started up the world’s first large-scale renewable propane production facility in Rotterdam in the Netherlands. The first cargo of renewable propane has been delivered to SHV Energy, which will market and sell the product to its customers across Europe as BioLPG. Neste’s new facility has a production capacity... Read more →

=Alliance AutoGas (AAG) has successfully engineered Propane Port Fuel Direct Injection (P-PFDI) conversion systems for the 2018 Ford F-150 in two engine choices: 3.3 Liter V6 and 5.0 Liter V8. This new technology features autogas as the primary fuel, while strategically utilizing gasoline as a combustion lubricant. At the 2018... Read more →

Toyota Motor Corporation has introduced a new taxi vehicle for Japan, the “JPN Taxi.” Equipped with a newly developed liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) hybrid system, the new model offers 19.4 km/L (45.6 mpg US, 5.51 l/100 km) fuel economy and sharply reduced CO2 emissions. Toyota made enhancements to safety equipment,... Read more →

Canadian team proposes new propane phase-change thermal management system for hybrid electric battery packs Researchers at the Clean Energy Research Laboratory, University of Ontario Institute of Technology are proposing a new propane phase-change thermal management system for hybrid electric vehicles that use propane as the fuel for the engine. (Further... Read more →

CDP Technologies, the OEM sales division of Crazy Diamond Performance Inc., will offer a new aftermarket gaseous fuels-prepped cylinder head package for GM 6.0L engines. The new CDP cylinder head will be available for the popular GM engines that have been, or are slated to be, converted to a gaseous... Read more →

The world’s first ME-GIE ethane-combusting two-stroke engine has been delivered from MAN Diesel & Turbo licensee Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (MES) in Japan. The Mitsui-MAN B&W 7G50ME-C9.5-GIE is the first engine in a series of three. Further research has led to new possibilities for this engine leading to... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is awarding $18 million to five projects for research, development, and demonstration of innovative plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) and direct injection propane engine technologies, as well as community-based projects to accelerate the adoption of light, medium and heavy duty vehicles that operate on fuels... Read more →

The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) rolled out its new fleet of 77 buses fueled by propane autogas. The alternatively fueled buses will help the agency reduce its operating costs, and will reduce emissions by 2 million pounds per year. MTS purchased 31 minibuses and 46 paratransit buses fueled... Read more →

Chevrolet and GMC are partnering with Power Solutions International, Inc. (PSI) to introduce heavy-duty pickups and full-size vans powered by 6.0-liter V-8 compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)-capable engines starting in the first quarter of 2017. Chevrolet also will offer CNG and LPG versions of its new... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced approximately $22.3 million of funding to support research, development, and demonstration of innovative plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) and direct injection propane engine technologies, as well as community-based projects to accelerate the adoption of light, medium, and heavy duty vehicles that operate on fuels... Read more →

Ford will offer the 2016 F-150 with an available gaseous-fuel prep package that enables 5.0-liter V8-powered models to run on compressed natural gas or propane, making Ford the only manufacturer of a CNG/propane-capable half-ton pickup. The 2016 Ford F-150 with 5.0-liter V8 engine will be available to order this summer... Read more →

Renault’s new, more compact electric motor with integrated Power Electronic Controller. Click to enlarge. Renault has previewed a new electric vehicle motor, designed by its engineers and manufactured at its Cléon plant in France, as well as a new dual-fuel gasoline/LPG combustion engine. Both are slated to enter production in... Read more →

Natural gas engine and vehicle company Westport Innovations Inc. has acquired Netherlands based Prins Autogassystemen Holding B.V. for €12.2 million (US$15.1 million) through a combination of €6.6 million (US$8.2 million) in assumed liabilities and €5.6 million (US$6.9 million) in cash. Founded in 1986, Prins is a leading developer of high... Read more →

Scaled-down model of prismatic pressure vessel. Click to enlarge. Professors Pål G. Bergan and Daejun Chang and of Ocean Systems Engineering at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have developed a box-type, large-size pressure vessel for the storage and transportation of liquids such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG),... Read more →

Fiat is updating its 500L range for 2014 with two new turbocharged 120 hp (88 kW) engine options—the 1.6 MultiJet II turbodiesel and the 1.4 T-Jet gasoline—and a dual fuel LPG/gasoline variant of the 1.4 T-Jet. 120 HP 1.6 MultiJet II. The adoption of a small variable geometry turbocharger developed... Read more →

Scuderi split-cycle engine in power generator/CAES application. Click to enlarge. Scuderi Group, Inc., the developer of the Scuderi Split-Cycle Engine for mobile applications (earlier post) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Asociación de Miembros de la Policia de Puerto Rico for the first Scuderi Split-Cycle Engine to be... Read more →

Picanto Click to enlarge. Responding to growing customer demand in Europe for small cars with low running costs and low emissions, Kia is introducing a bi-fuel gasoline-LPG model to its Picanto small car range. The new variant, introduced at the Frankfurt show, will record fuel economy in LPG mode of... Read more →

New fuel booster valve for ME-LGI engine showing the main constituent parts. Click to enlarge. On 1 July MAN Diesel & Turbo announced the development of a new ME-LGI dual fuel engine. The new engine expands the company’s dual-fuel portfolio, enabling the use of more sustainable fuels such as methanol... Read more →

The California Energy Commission approved funding of more than $20 million to support low carbon transportation projects; about half went to Tesla Motors. These awards, totaling $20,093,718, are made through the Commission’s Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program, created by Assembly Bill 118. The investments of public money... Read more →

The Opel Meriva can now be ordered with the 1.4 liter LPG Turbo ecoFLEX dual fuel engine. Click to enlarge. Opel is expanding and enhancing its Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) offer. The Astra 5-door hatchback, the Astra Sports Tourer and the Meriva can now be ordered with the new 1.4... Read more →

Researchers from Japan and Mexico have developed a one-step hydrotreatment process over catalysts containing Ni-Mo and solid acids for the conversion of vegetable oils (Jatropha, palm and canola) to renewable diesel and LPG fuels. A paper on their work appears in the ACS journal Energy & Fuels. Jatropha oil produced... Read more →

Ford’s EcoLPi Falcon has gone on sale in Australia and is making its debut at the 2011 Australian International Motor Show in Melbourne. The new EcoLPi in-line six-cylinder engine is an advanced liquid phase injection, dedicated LPG powerplant that produces 27% more power and 10% more torque than previous E-Gas... Read more →