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Volvo has announced plans to field test dimethylether (DME) fuelled trucks from 2009. The Swedish Energy Association is supporting the programme with a SEK 12.8 million (€1.3 million) grant.

Volvo hopes DME has the potential to become a competitive alternative to fossil fuels. It is particularly attractive in Sweden as it can be produced from black liquor, a residual product of paper manufacture – one of Sweden’s main industries.

DME is produced by gasifying biomass. The synthesis gas formed is then catalysed to produce a fuel similar to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

Volvo CEO Leif Johansson said: “DME offers environmental benefits and can be an excellent fuel for future commercial transport. In 20 years such alternative fuels will be more commercially viable.”

The first Volvo truck with a DME engine appeared three years ago. The OEM will test the third generation of the technology next year and will demonstrate the entire process chain, from the biomass production to the powering the trucks with the fuel.

Volvo received an initial grant of SEK 62 million (€6.6 million) in 2006. This helped finance development of third-generation DME technology. Field testing of the technology is scheduled to start at the end of 2009 using 14 trucks.

AB Volvo is being partnered in the project by process technology company Chemrec, Delphi, battery supplier ETC, refining catalyst firm Haldor Topsoe, fuel suppliers Preem and Total.