Nevada Okays Alt-Fuel Status of Refinery's Clean-Burning Diesel-Natural Gas Mix
By Scott Doggett August 25, 2010
Nevada environmental regulators have for the first time certified a refinery that produces a cleaner, more efficient fuel made from low-sulfur diesel mixed with natural gas.
Reno-based Advanced Refining Concepts received formal certification for its GDiesel last week for the state's alternative fuels program, Nevada Division of Environmental Protection spokesman Vinson Guthreau told The Associated Press on Monday.
That means lab results showed GDiesel will reduce emissions of one or more regulated pollutants compared to conventional gasoline, the NDEP said. Further, the certification permits the fuel to be used by several thousand government vehicles in Clark and Washoe counties - including more than 1,000 school buses - without requiring any modifications to the vehicles.
Peter Gunnerman, co-founder and director of privately held Advanced Refining Concepts, told The AP that in addition to burning cleaner, GDiesel provides better fuel economy at a lower cost than conventional diesel fuels.
"Receiving alternative fuel status is an important development for our company, potentially opening new and large markets for GDiesel," Gunnerman said.
The company soon will produce up to 100,000 gallons of GDiesel per day at the company's Peru Heights refinery, which recently began its startup phase on a 10-acre site in the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center about 10 miles east of Sparks, Gunnerman said.
He said his tests with a Humvee and a Mercedes SUV have shown up to a 36 percent gain in fuel efficiency.
The AP cited Diesel World magazine as reporting in its April 2010 edition that its staff recorded about a 30 percent gain in fuel efficiency, using 50 gallons of GDiesel to drive a 1996 Dodge Ram more than 1,200 miles back and forth between Reno and Sacramento on Interstate 80.
The magazine said it got 22 miles per gallon compared to 17 to 19 mpg on conventional diesel.
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