SAN FRANCISCO, CA - California-based biofuels maker LS9 announced that its UltraClean Diesel, a diesel replacement product offering, has been officially registered by the U.S. Environment Protection Agency (EPA) and can now be sold commercially in the U.S. 

"This registration clears the way for LS9 to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by bringing to market a low-carbon, advanced biofuel that can be used in today's engines," said Bill Haywood, LS9's CEO.  

LS9 said the chemical composition for UltraClean Diesel is compatible with the existing infrastructure and has a more desirable environmental footprint than conventional diesel. Production of the fuel provides an 85-percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions when compared to conventional petroleum diesel. In addition, LS9 UltraClean Diesel is free of benzene, a common carcinogen, and contains only trace amounts of sulfur. Both are generally associated with conventional diesel products. 

LS9's UltraClean Diesel is produced by fermentation of renewable raw materials in a single step. The company's proprietary one-step process has higher yields and removes additional production costs associated with the multi-step processes required by other advanced biofuel technologies, the company said. 

LS9 added that it genetically engineers microorganisms to produce fuels with improved properties such as cetane, volatility, oxidative stability and cold-flow.