Criterion Catalysts and Headwaters Technology on April 17 announced an alliance to help petroleum refiners produce more diesel and gasoline clean fuels from residual (bottom-of-the-barrel) heavy oil.

World diesel engine demand is forecast to expand 3.5% per year through 2012, to $153 billion, according to a new study by Cleveland-based Freedonia Group.

Volkswagen’s “Polo” five-passenger diesel concept car – shown at the recent Geneva Motor Show – beats the Toyota “Prius” gasoline-electric hybrid on both fuel economy and CO2.

Caterpillar reported April 21 its first quarterly loss in 16 years thanks to the global financial meltdown and consequent write-offs to earnings.

Oklahoma-based synthetic fuels developer Syntroleum announced $11.2 million net income for first-quarter 2009 compared to a $2.2 million loss in 1Q2008.

Minnesota-based Rational Energies is running into opposition from neighbors over a proposed $300 million, 1,800 barrels/day gasification/Fischer-Tropsch waste-to-diesel plant scheme.

California Attorney General Jerry Brown Jr. on April 13 filed suit against nationwide U.S. diesel/gasoline retailer TravelCenters of America regarding allegations of failure to take measures to detect and prevent leaks from underground storage tanks.

ASTM’s D-2 (motor fuels) committee announced it has four ballots pending on diesel fuel issues including a proposed revision to the existing “high-frequency reciprocating rig” lubricity test method.

Jacobs Engineering announced April 21 that it received a contract from Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) to provide project management consultancy services for a diesel hydrotreater project at HPCL’s refining complex in Mumbai, India.

Australian-American Energy Co. LLC (AAEC) and the Crow Tribe in Montana announced April 15 that they have executed final project agreements for the proposed $7.5 billion, 50,000 barrels/day “Many Stars” coal-to-liquids (CTL) project to be constructed on the Crow Indian Reservation.

Canadian Trucking Alliance is calling upon the federal Environment Minister to modify a scheme that would force at least 2% biodiesel to be blended into petroleum diesel fuel.

Vancouver, Canada-based Dynamotive on April 22 announced that it has developed a two-stage hydro-conversion process that converts biomass-based pyrolysis oil into gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.

At the World CTL 2009 conference in Washington, D.C., last month, Shenhua official Zhang Wenjiang updated the status of the company’s coal direct coal liquefaction project at Majiata, Ordos, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Alberta, Canada-based Alter NRG/Westinghouse Plasma Corp. laid out its arguments in favor of plasma-based gasification of coal or biomass to produce ultra-clean liquid fuels at the World CTL conference in Washington, D.C. last month.