SAO PAULO, Brazil and SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., July 7, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LS9, Inc., a technology leader in the development of sustainable products, announced that it has begun a collaboration with MAN Latin America, a leading Brazilian engineering and vehicles manufacturing company, to test LS9's renewable diesel in both stationary engines and operational fleet vehicles in Brazil.
The project will include performance, emissions, fuel consumption and engine durability testing, as well as field testing of LS9's biofuel in Volkswagen trucks and buses.
"Our collaboration with MAN Latin America reinforces our commitment to producing cost-effective, high-quality biofuels and making renewable, sustainable biodiesel made from sugarcane and other renewable sugars widely available to global consumers," said Ed Dineen, CEO of LS9. "Through this alliance, we intend to further demonstrate the high quality of our drop-in biofuels for the Brazil market, and to move closer to the commercialization of LS9 UltraCleanTM Diesel."
LS9 UltraClean Diesel has been custom engineered to meet or exceed relevant diesel fuel standards while providing compelling economic and environmental benefits relative to petroleum diesel. The company's current fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) product has achieved the key parameters of B100 (100 percent biodiesel) — ASTM 6751 (United States), EN 14214 (European Union), and ANP 7 (Brazil) standards. LS9 UltraClean Diesel overcomes a number of the challenges of first-generation biodiesel, including high cost of production, poor oxidative stability, and/or poor cold flow. In April 2010, the fuel was officially registered with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) so it can be sold commercially in the United States. LS9 also has a hydrocarbon-only diesel product under development.
Roberto Cortes, president of MAN Latin America, said, "We want to offer more renewable and alternative fuels to our clients in Brazil and in other Latin American countries. These fuels do not contain benzene and have very low sulfur content — substances that are present in conventional diesel fuel. As society and governments seek to protect the environment, they increasingly prefer the use of renewable fuels in fleets for public transportation. That's the reason we are broadening the range of possibilities with LS9 UltraCleanTM Diesel."
LS9's announcement comes at an important time for Brazil, which recently has sanctioned new environmental policies and is gradually implementing new quality standards for fuels and engines to reduce emissions and improve air quality.
About LS9, Inc.
LS9, Inc. is a technology leader in the commercial development of a growing portfolio of sustainable products to meet the needs of fuel and chemical markets worldwide. Its unique technology platform enables low costs, feedstock flexibility and process simplicity across a diversity of fermentation-derived products ranging from vehicle-ready fuels to chemicals for lubricants, detergents and personal care products. In June 2010, LS9 was awarded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's highest environmental honor for its revolutionary technology. The company was founded in 2005 and is supported by funding from Flagship Ventures, Khosla Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Chevron Technology Ventures, and BlackRock. LS9 is headquartered in South San Francisco, California, and further information can be found at www.ls9.com.