rDME - Suburban Propane

Suburban Propane is leading the industry in the transition to a low carbon world through continued investments in its next generation of even cleaner and lower carbon renewable energy product, Propane+rDME. Suburban Propane is the first company to offer Propane+rDME in the United States.

What is Propane+rDME?

Propane+rDME is a revolutionary new product of either traditional or renewable propane and rDME. When combined, a low-carbon energy source is created that can be used in on- and off-road applications to further reduce carbon intensity and greenhouse emissions.

What is rDME and where do you get it from?

rDME stands for “renewable dimethyl ether”, which is an innovative sustainable fuel source that is produced from renewable feedstocks, such as dairy waste, biogas, or landfills.

To learn more about rDME, please visit: Oberon Fuels rDME Basics

Thinking about Switching to Electricity? Think Again!

Things To Know Before Making A Decision To Switch To Electricity.

Frequent charging requirements result in increased downtime. Avoid discharging a battery below 20% to prevent damage
To maximize productivity, it’s likely that you will need to alter and plan operator shift patterns accordingly
If work schedules require more than 6 hours of electric forklift use time, additional forklifts may need to be purchased
Installing acid resistant flooring is essential to prevent warehouse damage
Electric forklifts are susceptible to temperature changes impacting performance
Electric forklifts can suffer damage in wet environment

Propane + rDME is an innovative and sustainable alternative fuel source that is produced from renewable feedstocks, such as dairy waste, biogas, or landfills, and blended with propane, which is currently used in on- and off-road applications to help reduce the carbon intensity associated with propane use.

About Propane+rDME

Propane+rDME is a blended source of fuel made from 96% renewable propane and 4% rDME, and over time the blend will include increasing amounts of rDME
rDME is a homegrown fuel. It’s created in California, and its production has generated new jobs in the State’s Imperial Valley region
We continue to offer renewable propane and began road testing our new low carbon product, Propane+rDME, and it will be available in certain markets in early 2022
Propane+rDME complies with California’s strict emissions standards and has a lower carbon intensity score than diesel, gasoline, and electricity
There is no loss of productivity when using Propane+rDME because there is no time spent charging an expensive battery
Propane+rDME is delivered using the existing propane infrastructure without any reliance on California’s expensive and unstable electric grid

Propane+rDME Sell Sheet download

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Paving a Low Carbon Pathway

Propane+rDME is the next step in the evolution of clean fuels. This low carbon fuel is a pathway to a carbon-neutral, and even carbon negative future. Over the past few years, Suburban Propane has significantly invested in its renewable energy platform, and increased involvement in Oberon Fuels, which lead to the first commercial production of rDME in the County.

Learn More About Oberon

A Legacy of Innovation

With a 95+ year legacy as a reliable provider of energy and exceptional customer service, our goal is to lead the transition to a renewable energy future in a way that provides value to our customers, unitholders, employees, and the communities we serve to ensure we can thrive in a carbon constrained world for the next 95 years.

How is Propane+rDME different?

We secure renewable energy feedstocks and explore the development of a renewable hydrogen solutions given the exceptional hydrogen carrier characteristics of our current product offerings and our ability to leverage existing assets for the safe storage and transportation of those fuels.