DETROIT, Mich. — On September 10, Volvo Powertrain, Inc. and Detroit Diesel Corp. (DDC) hosted in Chicago the first meeting of the Urea Distribution Stakeholder Group.

The group of 25 people, represented urea producers, chemical distributors, truck stop operators, fuel refiner/distributors, fleet operators, selective catalytic reduction (SCR) component manufacturers, and truck manufacturers. However, the meeting was open to all interested industry partners.

Urea is an important ingredient of SCR emissions control technology. The purpose of the meeting was to develop a better understanding of the key components of a new urea supply chain, and to brainstorm various scenarios for a distribution process sufficient to support SCR technology for potential application in heavy-duty diesel trucks.

This meeting confirmed the high level of interest expressed in informal stakeholder conversations over the last several months, and further explored the means for developing an integrated urea distribution proposal for discussion with EPA.

DDC and Volvo Powertrain each indicated that they must decide soon the emission control technology pathway to pursue in order to meet the new, more stringent U.S. emissions standards scheduled to take effect in 2007.

Participants characterized the kick-off meeting as a useful and informative first step in a process intended to assure the EPA that a urea infrastructure could be in place by 2007.