DME - The NextGen Fuel DME (Dimethyl Ether, C

DME (Dimethyl Ether, CH3–O–CH3) is an LPG-like synthetic fuel that is produced through gasification

of various renewable substances or fossil fuels. The synthetic gas is then catalyzed to produce DME.

It is produced from natural gas but it can also be produced from other sources like biomass and coal.

The production of DME is very similar to that of methanol: Natural gas at remote locations is the most

economic feedstock for both alternative fuels.

DME is a clean burning (completely sootless) synthetic fuel that can substitute for conventional diesel,

liquified petroleum gas (LPG) or be reformed into hydrogen for fuel cells. As a diesel fuel replacement

it reduces NOx emissions 90%, meeting the 2007 diesel emission standards, and features high

cetane.

It can be transported as a pressurised liquid similar to LPG. Also, as mentioned earlier, DME

can be economically produced from a number of feedstock: coal, natural gas, biomass. Countries

which are seeing an exponential increase in their energy demand are extremely interested in setting

up DME plants and China has taken the lead in the same. China, in particular, because of its

enormous coal reserves, is interested in the Coal to DME process.

Oil and gas companies are focusing on DME as a way to efficiently use their natural gas resources.

They want to utilise the natural gas produced by wells that are far from distribution infrastructure and

are looking to convert the gas to product (liquid, fuel, chemical) close to the well site and transport

that instead. This is where DME is being thought about in a big way.

DME already has an environmentally clean background and good safety record as propellent in spray

cans for the cosmetic industry. It has been used in a low pressure gaseous state as ignition improver

of methanol.

DME is a new fuel planned for introduction as a safe, environmentally benign energy source for fuel

cells or diesel engines. DME can serve as a synthetic fuel that is to diesel what LPG is to gasoline. It

is gaseous at ambient conditions but can be liquefied at moderate pressure. With a high cetane

number, DME has very attractive characteristics as an alternative fuel for diesel engines.

DME can be blended upto 20% with LPG and used for household cooking and heating, without any

modifications to equipment or used as a replacement. DME can also be used as a clean burning

substitute for diesel in transportation and as a clean fuel for power generation.

DME would be particularly attractive for countries which have large coal reserves or forest produce.

Just to give an example, it is possible to use black liquor, a residual product from production of paper

pulp (from forest produce), as a feedstock for manufacturing DME.