U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) latest weekly surveys of U.S. refiner and importer supplies of ultra-low sulfur diesel (<15-ppm sulfur ULSD) shows that despite hurricane-caused shutdowns, ULSD output and stocks fell only slightly.

Brasil’s Minister of Environment Carlos Minc proposed Sept. 10 that diesel fuel would have to meet a 10-ppm sulfur (Euro-5) limit by 2012 rather than by 2017.

As reported by the official Agencia Estado news service, Minc made the announcement at a meeting of the national environment council (Conama).

U.S. Energy Information Administration’s latest Short-Term Energy Outlook foresees that U.S. retail diesel fuel will average around $4.26/gallon in 2009, versus an average $3.88/gallon for regular gasoline.

A July 2008 survey of more than 1,000 U.S. potential car-buyers found that about half of them believe diesels are more environmentally friendly today than the diesels of five years ago.

In contrast, when asked the same question in 2003, only 30% thought diesels had become more environmentally friendly over the prior five years, as Yankelovich Partners analyst Hal Quinley explained during a Diesel Technology Forum (DTF) webinar last week.

Venezuela’s use of diesel fuel for power generation is up a whopping 28.6% this year according to the official office of Office of Operation of Interconnected Systems (OPSIS).

As cited in a report from El Universal (Caracas), the rise of diesel fuel almost exactly mirrors the decline in heavy fuel oil consumption in power generation.

Austin, Texas-based uShip last week released August 2008 results from its Transportation Price Index (TPI), showing that the cost of shipping goods in the U.S. fell 13%, to $2.41 per ton-mile.

“This month's decline puts the TPI well below its August 2007 level of $2.58, a drop of 6.59%,” uShip said.

At the Paris auto show next month, Volvo will display its new diesel variants of the C30, S40 and V50 1.6D DRIVe, claiming fuel consumption of just 4.4 litres/100 kilometers (C30) or 4.5 litres/100 km (S40 and V50).

Production of the cars will start in late 2008, Volvo said.

Nissan and Mitsubishi announced that following years of absence from the domestic diesel car market, they’re re-launching clean-diesel models meeting Japan’s tough “Post New Long-Term Regulation” 2009 emissions standards.

A University of Michigan (U-M) study that found health effects problems from nanoparticle (nano-PM) emissions (see Diesel Fuel News 9/1/08) wasn’t based on actual nano-PM emissions from the new diesel engines equipped with high-efficiency diesel particle filter (DPF) technology.

In a further sign of the growing stature of the Russian automotive industry, car maker GAZ Group announced Sept. 3 that it bought Penske Corp.’s remaining 50% share in Italy-based diesel engine developer/producer VM Motori.

The other half of VM is owned by General Motors, since GM bought a 50% interest from Penske last year.

A truck driver using smart driving practices could slash $25,000/year from diesel fuel costs, according to a new American Trucking Associations (ATA) analysis.

As explained by ATA chief economist Bob Costello to the recent EBE Technologies Driving Action, Delivering Results, conference in Oak Brook, Ill., a U.S. long-distance (120,000 miles/year) heavy-duty trucker could achieve better than 7 miles/gallon with good driving practices.

Refinery technology giant UOP on Sept. 10 signed a letter of intent with Ensyn Corp. to form a joint venture to offer technology and equipment to convert “second-generation biomass” into bio-oil for power generation, heating fuel and eventually conversion into transportation fuels.

Delphi announced Sept. 2 that it is introducing what it calls the “world’s first” direct-acting piezo diesel injectors that will make it easier for vehicle makers to meet upcoming Euro-6 emissions limits while saving on fuel.

U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE) on Sept. 3 announced that it will provide funds for six projects involving conversion of coal and coal-biomass mixtures to syngas and then to liquids (CBTL).

DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) will manage the projects. Technologies evolving from the R&D could aid the development of CBTL Fischer-Tropsch diesel projects.