ULSD Will Be Ready on Time, Industry, Government Officials Say

AN DIEGO — New ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel, which is due out later this year, should be ready on time, but it may be a tough, irritating and expensive process, engineers from the federal government and two oil companies told a trucking industry conference here.

The engineers told members of the Truck Renting and Leasing Association that the new fuel-and-engine combination required in 2007 will be more costly to buy, maintain and operate and will be less fuel efficient. In addition, ULSD could be difficult to transport, at least at first. Furthermore, these difficulties might not be the end of the transition.

“We will learn our lessons and then move forward,” said Mike Leister, manager of fuels technology for Marathon Petroleum Co., Findlay, Ohio, at TRALA’s annual meeting March 30.