Chrysler, Syntroleum to develop sulfur-free fuel

20 October 1998

Chrysler said it will team up with Syntroleum, a Tulsa, OK-based energy technology company, to develop sulfur-free fuels from natural gas that will burn cleaner than current crude oil-based fuels.

Fuels designed from Syntroleum's natural gas-to-liquids process would be able to run in today's vehicles without modification and be suitable for use with such future technologies as clean-burning diesel engines, fuel cells and hybrid electric vehicles, Chrysler said.

Syntroleum estimates the new fuels could sell for less than $1.50 a gallon. The company believes that designer fuels from natural gas could quickly become the most viable alternative fuel on the market and expects to begin making the fuel in the next few years.

The lack of sulfur and other properties will improve fuel efficiency, reduce emissions and produce quieter, smoother running engines, Chrysler said.

Sulfur free diesel fuels would also open the door for several catalyst-based aftertreatment technologies which are intolerant to sulfur and cannot be used with today's fuels.

Syntroleum announced earlier that it intends to apply for certification of its synthetic diesel fuels as alternative fuels under the EPACT.

Source: Reuters