Cummins announced March 21 that it will meet upcoming U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 2014 greenhouse gas (GHG) limits on heavy-duty engines one year ahead of the deadline, in 2013.

Tognum – now majority-owned by Daimler and Rolls-Royce – announced March 21 that it’s expanding its Aiken, South Carolina, plant for MTU diesel engines over the next two years.

Bosch announced March 15 that it signed a memo of understanding with Qingdao National High-Tech Industrial Development Zone to build a second diesel fuel injector manufacturing plant in China with its local joint-venture partner, Wuxi Weifu.

Japan’s automakers traditionally haven’t been leaders in the passenger-car dieselization wave that has swept Europe, India and other parts of the world.

California-based compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) station developer Clean Energy Fuels announced March 19 that it signed a “10-year strategic partnership” deal with Florida-based logistics specialist Saddle Creek Corp.

Daimler Trucks announced March 19 that it’s aiming to boost market share and sales of its mostly diesel-powered trucks in 2012, on the heels of a relatively strong 2011.

The European Parliament next month is scheduled to vote on legislation earlier approved by the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee that would impose new carbon dioxide (CO2) and energy taxes on fuels.

CME – owner of the NYMEX futures and options exchange – on March 23 announced that it plans to convert its existing high-sulfur heating-oil (gasoil) futures contract to ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) specifications starting May 2013.

Volkswagen of America announced March 21 that it’s partnering with biofuel developers Amyris and Solazyme to “evaluate emissions reductions and demonstrate the performance of ‘TDI’ clean-diesel technology when powered by advanced biodiesel and renewable diesel fuel

San Diego – The explosive growth of shale-gas and shale-oil (or “tight oil”) production in the U.S. strengthens the economic case for hydrocracking rather than coking configurations at U.S. refineries, according to a new study presented to the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (formerly NPRA) annual meeting here March 13.

Louisiana-based refinery technology vendor Albemarle announced March 20 that it won a contract from the U.S. Navy’s Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD) at China Lake, California, to “complete its first biojet fuel production run based on bio n-butanol provided by California-based Cobalt Technologies.”

Following 1,187 commercial flights by Lufthansa with Neste Oil’s all-hydrocarbon “NExBTL” bio-jet fuel, both Lufthansa and Neste pronounced that such fuel – essentially identical to petroleum-based kero-jet fuel – didn’t cause any engine or operating problems.

A new Potential of Biofuels for Shipping report from the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) finds that biodiesel blends of up to 20% in marine diesel oil (MDO) or marine gasoil (MGO) “seem the most promising fuel for shipping, aside from 100% replacement of HFO [heavy fuel oil] by straight vegetable oils, due to best compatibility with current [marine diesel] engines and supply chain.”

The Port of Rotterdam Authority (PORA) on March 14 announced that it and the neighboring ports of Antwerp and Hamburg are jointly endorsing the European Parliament Environment Committee resolution to require bunker-fuel desulfurization as outlined in the International Maritime Organization (IMO) “emission-control area” (ECA) legislation.

Ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) prices in major spot and futures markets mostly declined last week, thanks to rising stocks and middling demand.