Optimus Technologies, Peaslee Tech launch biodiesel training partnership

Optimus Technologies and The Dwayne Peaslee Technical Training Center are teaming up in Lawrence, Kansas, to give diesel technician students hands-on experience with a Volvo VNR equipped with the Optimus Vector System. The program is meant to prepare workers for broader use of biodiesel in heavy-duty fleets and connect technical training with Kansas agriculture.

Why it matters: - The partnership is designed to help train the next generation of diesel technicians for fleets using biodiesel and higher blends, including B100. - The effort links technical education, university research and Kansas soybean production to real-world heavy-duty transportation. - Biodiesel made from renewable feedstocks such as soybean oil can help fleets lower lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions while continuing to use diesel engines and existing infrastructure.

What happened: - Optimus Technologies and The Dwayne Peaslee Technical Training Center announced a new hands-on training initiative in Lawrence, Kansas. - Peaslee Tech received a grant, through a collaborative effort involving Optimus Technologies, Peaslee Tech, the KU Department of Chemical and Energy Engineering and the Kansas Soybean Commission, to acquire a Volvo VNR truck equipped with the Optimus Technologies Vector System. - The truck will be used as a training platform for diesel technician students. - The vehicle is intended to give students practical experience with technology that enables heavy-duty diesel engines to operate on 100% biodiesel, or B100.

The details: - Students will work directly with the Volvo VNR and its Vector System. - The training will cover biodiesel fuel systems, vehicle operation, maintenance and diagnostics. - The curriculum will also address the considerations involved in integrating B100 into fleet operations. - Peaslee Tech will use the vehicle to add biodiesel technology to its diesel technician training program. - The KU Department of Chemical and Energy Engineering will contribute technical and educational expertise. - The university’s role is to connect the science and engineering of biodiesel with its use in heavy-duty vehicles. - Susan Williams, professor and chair of the department, said the collaboration shows how research institutions and technical education programs can work with industry to move alternative fuel technologies from the lab into transportation. - Williams said KU students have been involved in producing biodiesel from soybean oil for almost 20 years with support from the Kansas Soybean Commission. - Williams said the Lawrence demonstration of B100 use year-round is expected to encourage further adoption of biodiesel in Kansas and benefit soybean farmers. - Support from the Kansas Soybean Commission ties the program to Kansas agriculture and the domestic biodiesel supply chain.

Between the lines: - The partnership reflects a push to prepare technicians for an evolving transportation market as fleets look for practical ways to reduce emissions without replacing diesel equipment. - The project also creates a direct link between Kansas soybean growers and a transportation fuel market. - Optimus Technologies CEO Colin Huwyler said workforce training is as important as the technology itself and that hands-on exposure will help technicians install, service and support the Vector System in the field.

What's next: - Peaslee Tech students will begin using the Volvo VNR as a live training platform. - The partners expect the program to build technician skills for fleets adopting higher biodiesel blends and B100. - The collaboration aims to support wider use of lower-carbon heavy-duty fleets across Kansas and beyond.

The bottom line: - The partnership turns a donated training truck into a bridge between agriculture, engineering and workforce development for biodiesel-powered trucking.