Governor Launches First Test of Breakthrough Oxydiesel Fuel
24 November 1998
Governor Launches First Test of Breakthrough Oxydiesel Fuel Developed by Pure Energy Corporation
DECATUR, Ill., Nov. 23 -- Governor Jim Edgar of Illinois
announced today the first in a series of demonstration projects to test the
use of OxyDiesel, a blend of ethanol and diesel fuel developed by Pure Energy
Corporation, in a fleet of trucks at Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) in Decatur.
"Throughout my administration I have strongly supported the use of
clean-burning, renewable ethanol fuel, made from Illinois corn," the Governor
said. "Illinois is the leading producer of ethanol in the United States, with
an annual production of more than 600 million gallons. The successful
blending of ethanol and diesel fuel will reduce harmful emissions from trucks
and buses, and stimulate the agricultural economy and the ethanol industry in
Illinois and across the nation."
The OxyDiesel fuel will be tested in unmodified diesel engines. In the
initial demonstration project, each truck will be driven over 100,000 miles on
the new fuel, then thoroughly examined for excessive wear. A 400-500 hour
durability test will also be performed at the University of Illinois Urbana
Champaign using a new diesel engine and OxyDiesel fuel. Although research is
still in progress, OxyDiesel could have other significant benefits such as
reduced sulfur content, a lower gel point than normal diesel fuel, and the
ability to absorb excess water in the fuel.
"OxyDiesel is a proprietary formulation of diesel, ethanol and
solubilizing agents engineered to reduce particulate matter and Nox emissions
from diesel engines," said Irshad Ahmed, Senior Vice President and Chief
Science Officer of Pure Energy. The proprietary formulation, developed by
Pure Energy Corporation of New York, is designed to keep the two fuels from
separating under adverse conditions.
"We can combine the benefits of each fuel into a new, cost-effective, low
emission diesel fuel that can be used in both new and existing diesel
engines," Irshad added. Initial cost estimates indicate the OxyDiesel will be
only a few cents more per gallon than conventional diesel fuel.
"The additive developed by Pure Energy Corporation is a significant
breakthrough in the transportation industry's effort to reduce vehicle
emissions," said Merrick Andlinger, CEO and President of Pure Energy
Corporation. "The additive allows us to create a new cost-effective, low
emission diesel fuel that passes all stability tests and will benefit the
environment, the state of Illinois and the entire transportation industry."
The unique fuel blend is the subject of a patent application
"ADM is pleased to host the first fleet of trucks in the country to
demonstrate the use of OxyDiesel fuel," said Martin L. Andreas, Senior Vice
President and Assistant to the CEO of Archer Daniels Midland. "We have
committed three brand new Mack trucks to the project; two operating on E-15
OxyDiesel, and one as a control."
A representative of Mack Trucks says they will be closely watching the
results of the test project. "We are very interested in the data generated
from using E-15 OxyDiesel in our trucks. This new fuel could help us meet
future standards for emissions from heavy-duty diesel engines," said Alex
Zuback, Regional Service Manager for Mack Trucks, Inc.
Doug Wilson, President of the Illinois Corn Growers Association, has
estimated that if sales of the OxyDiesel fuel grow to the same 10% nationwide
market share as ethanol blended gasoline, the annual demand for ethanol would
increase by more than 750 million gallons, using an additional 300 million
bushels of corn each year.
The next OxyDiesel test and demonstration project will be with the Chicago
Transit Authority (CTA) in a fleet of existing urban transit buses. "CTA is a
strong supporter of a cleaner environment. We are looking forward to being
the next test site for this new, clean diesel fuel that will benefit the
people we serve in Chicago," said Frank Kruesi, President of the Chicago
Transit Authority.
The State of Illinois, through the Illinois Department of Commerce and
Community Affairs (DCCA) coordinated the efforts to develop and begin testing
of OxyDiesel, in partnership with Pure Energy Corporation, the Illinois Corn
Growers Association, Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), Williams Energy Services,
GROWMARK, Inc., the U.S. Department of Energy, the Council of Great Lakes
Governors, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), and Mack Trucks, Inc.