Feb 25 2008
International Fuel Technology, Inc. (IFT) today announced that it had completed research and development efforts on DiesoLIFTTM BD-3, IFT’s proprietary fuel additive formulation for use with bio-diesel fuel blends. DiesoLIFTTM BD-3 is a second-generation fuel additive formulation.
Extensive research and development efforts in conjunction with BfB Laboratories in Belgium and subsequent testing have demonstrated that DiesoLIFTTM BD-3 is the top performing fuel additive technology for addressing oxidation stability and deposit formation in bio-diesel fuel blends.
In summary DiesoLIFTTM BD-3:
- Protects bio-diesel blends against oxidation, degradation and performance drop
- Extends storage stability
- Allows bio-diesel to meet and exceed current standards and specifications
- Provides additional protection against metal contamination
- Confers fuel efficiency and emissions control performance to bio-diesel
- Is in liquid form, thus simplifying application and usage
- Is the top performing fuel additive technology for addressing oxidation stability and deposit control in bio-diesel fuel blends
Given the size of the European bio-diesel market, IFT has focused its commercial efforts for DiesoLIFTTM BD-3 in this market. The European bio-diesel market has grown significantly since a 2003 directive setting non-binding targets to replace 2% of transport fuels with bio-fuels by 2005 and 5.75% for 2010. In 2007, the EU commission adopted a 10% minimum bio-fuels mandate by 2020 that will ensure continued growth of the European bio-diesel market. Some EU countries, such as France, are preparing for the 2020 mandate by imposing bio-diesel blends of B7 in 2008 and B10 in 2010.
In order to meet mandates, the bio-diesel component of bio-diesel fuel blends will continue to increase. For example, B2 blends (2005 target) moving to B10 blends (2020 mandate) and higher. At higher bio-diesel component levels, basic or traditional fuel additives such as BHT become less and less effective in addressing oxidation stability and deposit control and therefore are unable to keep the bio-diesel fuel blend within fuel specifications.
Fuel additive and chemical companies have been developing new fuel additive technologies to allow higher bio-diesel component bio-diesel fuel blends to meet fuel specifications. Because of the demonstrated success of DiesoLIFTTM BD-3, a number of prominent European fuel additive distribution companies have decided to partner with IFT to market and distribute DiesoLIFTTM BD-3 to specific European territories.
“We realized back in 2005 that the Europeans were not just paying lip service to bio-diesel consumption,” said Sergio Trindade, IFT’s Chief of Science and Technology. “The current magnitude and projected magnitude of the European bio-diesel market is substantial and we wanted to be in a position to offer the top performing technology to this growing stream of fuel.”
“Our global business strategy of identifying markets, developing superior performing fuel additive technologies for those markets and then partnering with established fuel additive distribution partners is being realized in Europe,” said Axel Farhi, IFT’s Director of Global Business Development. “We expect initial orders of DiesoLIFTTM BD-3 to be received in the first half of 2008.”
“Because of its superior fuel stability characteristics, DiesoLIFTTM BD-3 should also be a sought after technology in the emerging U.S. market,” said Jonathan Burst, IFT’s CEO. “The stability of a bio-diesel fuel blend is dependent on the amount of the bio-diesel component and the stability of the underlying source of the bio-diesel component. In the U.S., the prominent source of bio-diesel is soy, a relatively unstable material. As bio-diesel fuel blend specifications are refined and implemented in the U.S., we believe DiesoLIFTTM BD-3 will be well positioned to address this market.”