Marketing of water-based fuel planned

Marketing of water-based fuel planned

SINGAPORE (Reuter): Plans are underway to market a
breakthrough, water-based fuel for cars in Asia following its
introduction in the western United States.

The fuel is made of 30 percent water, 67.5 percent naphtha and
2.5 percent of additives that bind water and naphtha, an oil
product, an official with A-55 Ltd told a news conference
yesterday.

A-55 can be used as a replacement for diesel in boilers and
heating units, while another new fuel, A-21, can be used in cars
as an alternative to both petrol and diesel.

The company says the new fuel is cheaper and less polluting.
When used in diesel engines, emissions of harmful particles are
half that of diesel fuel.

"We have a mixing plant in Reno, Nevada and plan to open
another in Sacramento, California," said inventor Rudolf
Gunnerman, the president and chief executive officer of A-55 Ltd.

The company sells about 8,000 gallons per day of the new fuel,
mainly to owners of fleets of vehicles like bus and taxi
operators.

The company plans to market the fuel in Asia by early next
year, but first must educate and inform the public and the
authorities, said Alex Ling, a partner in A-55 Ltd.

He said the company had held talks directly with the Malaysian
state-owned oil company Petronas, and through third-parties with
Indonesian state-owned Pertamina.

Ling said the company had sent a Proton (the Malaysian
national car) engine to its laboratory in the United States to
test the emissions of A-55 and other fuels.

"We will then send it to an independent laboratory for tests
as well," Ling said.

He hoped the test results would convince the Malaysian
authorities and Petronas to let it start marketing the new fuel
in Malaysia.

Ling said the company would initially focus its Asian
marketing efforts in South East Asia.