A Global Challenge
The world’s rapidly expanding urban populations are facing increased energy requirements and waste disposal challenges, placing unprecedented pressure on human health and quality of life. Cities are facing a growing air quality and CO2 emissions crisis from our dependence on diesel transportation fuel, and the waste generated by growing populations all too often overwhelms local governments and infrastructure.
Nowhere is the air quality problem more pronounced than in our cities, where in the US alone more than 21,000 people die and 27,000 others suffer heart attacks from breathing soot.
Diesel vehicles are the single biggest contributor to these high levels of pollution in urban areas, and at 443 million metric tons of CO2 produced in 2015, a major contributor to the buildup of greenhouse gases (GHG) in our atmosphere.
At the same time, it is projected that the world’s urban areas will be generating 70% more waste, up to 2.2 billion tonnes per year, by 2025. This dramatic increase is already pressuring cities to divert waste streams away from landfills and expensive transportation costs, or incineration that can further impact air quality.
These problems will only get worse in the coming decades as there are expected to be at least 40 cities with more than 10 million residents by 2025.
Oberon’s Mission
Oberon is dedicated to developing technology to help address the growing problems of emissions and particulate matter generated by diesel engine vehicles in cities around the world, while also providing a more sustainable option for waste management. The company’s technology can utilize locally available organic wastes to produce low-carbon, zero-soot DME fuel, an alternative to diesel that has countless applications in the trucking and heavy equipment industry.
The broad adoption of DME fuel among these industries, and eventually passenger vehicles, will dramatically reduce the negative human health impacts of soot locally and the larger-scale climate impacts of carbon emissions globally. It will also have an enormous impact on how we recycle wastes into clean fuels that can power urban transportation.
Broad use of DME fuel by fleets and passenger cars is a key enabler of long term climate and human health in cities around the world.
Decarbonizing the Transportation Sector
Dimethyl ether (DME) is an organic compound with the formula CH3OCH3
As the world looks for innovative solutions to reduce the growing threat of global emissions and related health issues, it is clear that decarbonizing the transportation sector is a must. At the same time, waste streams generated by agriculture, manufacturing, and growing populations are creating new challenges around the world which also must be addressed.
Enter Oberon Fuels. We develop a range of ultra low-carbon or carbon-negative fuels that are practical, economical, and sustainable alternatives to today’s fossil fuels that can be produced from a variety of waste streams. Our approach reduces emissions while creating new economic opportunities for our partners.
Oberon’s renewable Dimethyl Ether (rDME) fuel is a cost-effective, low-carbon, zero-soot alternative to petroleum diesel. In addition, rDME is also a cost-effective carrier for hydrogen, making it easy to deliver this renewable fuel for the growing hydrogen fuel cell vehicle industry.
Additionally, when blended with propane, rDME can significantly reduce this commonly-used, clean-burning fuel’s carbon intensity. Taken together, Oberon can provide the US and global transportation sectors with practical and affordable pathways to zero-emission mobility.
We are proud to be part of a growing coalition of forward-looking vehicle manufacturers, infrastructure developers, and fuel providers who are 100% committed to making rDME a key to the long-term sustainability of our local, national, and global economies.
DME Fuel Basics
DME (dimethyl ether) is a clean-burning, non-toxic, potentially renewable fuel. Its high cetane value (55-60) and quiet combustion, as well as its inexpensive fueling system, make it an excellent, inexpensive diesel alternative that will meet strict emissions standards.
DME has been used for decades as an energy source in China, Japan, Korea, Egypt, and Brazil, and it can be produced domestically from a variety of feedstocks, including biogas from organic waste produced in cities or by agricultural operations, as well as natural gas. Ideal uses in North America are in the transportation, agriculture, and construction industries. DME can be made from a range of options that can make it extremely competitive if not significantly more affordable than traditional diesel.
DME is a gas under ambient conditions. However, because it can be stored as a liquid under moderate pressure, it eliminates the need for the high-pressure containers used for CNG or cryogenics, as in the case of LNG. DME’s easy handling properties make fueling and infrastructure relatively simple and inexpensive.
DME is approved as a renewable fuel under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Renewable Fuels Standard, making it eligible for RINs credits when made from biogas with the Oberon process. DME has also been issued specifications by ASTM International and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
Oberon Fuels is dedicated to developing integrated DME supply chains around the globe by coordinating closely with fleet managers, equipment manufacturers, and feedstock suppliers. Together, we are working toward the day when every city has DME production facilities providing fleets with clean, high-performing fuel.
Key Benefits of DME
- Diesel-Like Performance
- Simpler engine results in lower maintenance costs
- No spark plug required
- Compression ignited, resulting in higher efficiency
- No spark plugs
- Clean-Burning
- Burns with no particulate matter
- Sulfur-free
- Easier to control NOx
- Meets or exceeds strict emissions standards
- Safe
- Non-toxic
- Safe, rapid, low pressure dispensing
- Spillage will not contaminate soil
- Cost-Competitive
- Price competitive with that of diesel
- Due to DME’s simplicity, lower or competitive total cost of ownership with diesel vehicles
Fuel Specifications/Tested and Approved
Oberon Fuels’ DME has been evaluated and approved for use as a low-carbon transportation fuel by a variety of federal and state agencies.
ASTM & ISO
ASTM International has developed technical specifications for fuel-grade DME. Initially published in 2014, ASTM D7901 provides guidance for fuel producers, engine and component suppliers, and infrastructure developers on DME purity, testing, safety, and handling. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has specified DME characteristics for use as fuel in ISO 16861:2015 . Recently, ISO developed a new working group ISO/TC22/SC41/WG8 which is focusing on developing standards for DME fuel systems.
Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S Environmental Protection Agency has approved a Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) pathway for DME production from biogas with the Oberon process. The approval makes DME eligible for D3 cellulosic and D5 advanced biofuel renewable identification numbers (RINs) under the RFS.
State of California
With the modification of California Code on January 1, 2015, DME has been approved for sale in the state of California by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). In addition, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) published their Tier 1 Report in 2014 on DME as part of their Multimedia Evaluation process for new fuels. With these actions in California, and since the EPA does not require DME to be registered under Part 79, DME can now be used as a fuel in all 50 states across the US.
Emissions Profile
DME offers performance that is similar to diesel but burns cleaner, making DME an ideal fuel for fleets that have to haul heavy loads. DME produces zero soot, zero sulfur oxides (SOX), less NOX levels and also significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
Oberon’s Process & Facilities
The Process
Oberon Fuels has developed proprietary skid-mounted, small-scale production units that convert methane and carbon dioxide to DME from various feedstocks, such as biogas and natural gas. This small-scale process circumvents the financial, infrastructure, and permitting challenges that large-scale projects confront. Oberon units have the capacity to produce 10,000 gallons of DME per day to service regional fuel markets.
Facilities
Fueling station for a DME-powered Mack® Pinnacle™ demonstration at the NYC Department of Sanitation. © Ron Jautz 2017
Oberon Fuels uses two standard production units to produce DME fuel for its partners. Utilizing the same core process, units vary depending on the feedstock used and can be configured to produce DME or methanol.
These modular, high-efficiency production units make it easy for Oberon Fuels to provide fleets with DME fuel:
- Small footprints allow a wide range of biogas sources to produce DME
- Rapid deployment can easily accommodate growing vehicle fleets.
- Prefabricated modules simplify access to fugitive methane emissions or stranded natural gas
- Standardized construction leads to low capital costs and faster returns
Units in detail:
DME Commercial Demonstration Plant
Oberon Fuels’ commercial demonstration plant in Brawley, California (2 hours east of San Diego) is producing the first fuel-grade DME in North America, which is currently being used by Volvo Trucks, a division of The Volvo Group, in its commercial demonstrations of DME-powered, heavy-duty trucks.
In addition, as announced in September 2015, Oberon has also partnered with Ford, FVV, and various academic institutions to build the world’s first DME-powered passenger car for on-road testing in Germany.
Oberon Fuels is working with partners across the supply chain to provide Oberon DME to trucking fleets and cities around the world as part of an efficient, sustainable transportation infrastructure.
These partnerships are designed to:
- Supply trucking fleets with a high performing fuel at a competitive price.
- Provide biogas and natural gas sources with steady offtake opportunities.
- Efficiently recycle local waste streams into energy while improving air quality.
DME in Vehicle Fleets
Commercial
DME is a high cetane fuel (Our DME fuel has a cetane number of 55) that provides the torque and efficiency required of heavy-duty trucking fleets. DME compression-ignition engines come with lower maintenance costs and reduced requirements for aftertreatment equipment, lowering the lifetime cost of operating the vehicles for fleet operators. These advantages, including Oberon’s ability to use locally available bio-wastes to manufacture DME, make this fuel ideal in a number of commercial settings:
Alternative Fuel for Urban or Regional Closed-Loop
Oberon Fuels handles all production and delivery for its partners, making a predictable supply of DME as simple as signing a fuel contract.
DME can be centrally produced by Oberon Fuels and delivered to customers as needed on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Therefore, early adopters would be fleets involved in local and regional hauls that drive into and out of the same terminal daily and refuel at this base site.
Importantly, capital expenditures are in sync with market growth. As the market develops, more small-scale production units will be deployed by Oberon in each region, and new regions will be added across the country. Eventually, a national infrastructure will service long-haul applications.
High Performing, Easy to Handle
DME is an excellent substitute for diesel in the trucking industry because of its high cetane number (55) and because it does not require spark plugs, high pressure, or cryogenics like CNG and LNG. A DME fuel system requires different fuel injectors (allow higher flow), fuel pump, and fuel storage tank but is not inherently expensive. No high pressure or cryogenic tanks are required, drastically reducing the vehicle cost. Additionally, DME is easy to handle and store.
Oberon has partnered with Volvo and Mack Trucks, both divisions of The Volvo Group, to bring the next generation of DME-powered, heavy-duty trucks to fleet operators around the globe.
Cities and Government
As cities around the world grow, they are looking for ways to maintain an efficient transportation infrastructure that also meets environmental standards. By providing a fuel alternative to the heavy trucking industry, Oberon Fuels offers cities and governments a new way to improve air quality and the health of their citizens, reduce the costs of managing their waste streams, and more efficiently transport goods that thriving cities need.
Reduced Waste Costs
DME fuel can be made from a variety of locally available waste streams with Oberon’s production units. Any waste that can be converted to biogas is a potential feedstock for the Oberon process, allowing cities to generate their own fuel while also reducing the need to ship waste long distances for disposal.
Improved Air Quality & Health
DME comes with a 68-101% reduction* in greenhouse gas emissions over diesel, depending on the feedstock used. DME also produces zero particulate matter, zero sulfur oxides, and extremely low nitrogen oxide levels. Reducing these emissions from a city’s heavy trucking sector can lead to direct improvements in human health, better water quality, and clearer skies.
Oberon is working closely with cities in the United States and around the world that are looking to improve the quality of life for their citizens by integrating DME fuel into their transportation and waste management systems.
*Compared to diesel, based on renewable bio-based feedstock, see EPA’s analysis of Oberon’s DME for the Renewable Fuel Standard and this SAE Technical Paper on DME GREET Analysis.
Passenger Vehicles
Many of the same advantages DME offers the trucking industry can also be attractive in a passenger car, offering consumers a high-performing, efficient, clean-burning fuel:
Easy to Use
DME vehicles operate quieter, cleaner and with lower overall costs than diesel, making the fuel an ideal fit for many passenger cars.
DME’s safe and simple handling qualities make refilling vehicles easy and fast. And since DME can be transported with existing infrastructure, it is easier to build refueling stations and make the fuel available to drivers.
Easy to Manufacture
DME engines are very similar to diesel engines, but since DME burns clean they do not require the same costly filters and and other pollution control systems. This means DME vehicles can sell at comparable or lower prices than similarly equipped diesels as they come into large-scale production.
Oberon Fuels has partnered with Ford and FVV, a worldwide research network of engine manufacturers, suppliers and scientists, to test and build the world’s first DME-powered passenger car for on-road testing. The first demonstration car will be based on the Ford Mondeo (also called the Ford Fusion in the US), bringing DME’s benefits to the driving public.
The following infographic from Ford’s announcement details how DME produced from sustainable feedstocks can power cleaner passenger cars.
Source: Oberon Fuels
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