Scania gets EUR 3.3m R&D grant to develop biofuel engine

(ADPnews) - Oct 5, 2010 - Swedish truck and bus maker Scania AB (STO:SCV B) said on Monday it has received a SEK-30-million (USD 4.5m/EUR 3.3m) grant to partly fund a research and development (R&D) project for a biofuel engine for heavy commercial vehicles.

The funding has been granted under Sweden's Strategic Vehicle Research and Innovation initiative (FFI).

The project is aimed at developing an engine using biofuels that will combine the high energy efficiency of diesel (compression ignition) technology with the more efficient exhaust after-treatment system of Otto (spark ignition) technology. Such an engine would reduce both emissions of greenhouse gases and emissions of harmful nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons and particulates, according to Scania.

The FFI grant is for the phase that involves development of innovative technology for both alcohol- and methane gas-based fuels.

For this project Scania is co-operating with experts from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Lund University and Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg.

The project is part of a bilateral arrangement between Sweden and Brazil in which Scania and Vale Solucoes em Energia SA (VSE) have been collaborating on development of ethanol- and gas-fuelled industrial engines.

FFI is a partnership between the Swedish government and automotive industry for joint funding of R&D project with a focus on environment and safety.

(SEK 1.0 = USD 0.148/EUR 0.108)

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