September 10, 2014, A multi-state propane supplier is poised to introduce a dual-fuel system for Class 8 diesels that promises significant savings with a relatively modest investment in equipment and a payback in under two years.
Blossman Services, North Carolina, is waiting on final governmental approval for a “blended fuel” system that injects varying amounts of propane autogas to replace diesel fuel in heavy duty truck engines. The system has been certified by the federal Environmental Protection Agency for a 14-liter Detroit Diesel Series 60, said Jessie Johnson, vice president of marketing.
The engine has been running for six months in a road tractor hauling auto parts between Pennsylvania and upstate New York, he said. In Canada there already are 150 to 200 trucks running with the system because EPA certification is not needed there, Johnson said.