The established pathways for DME production are through methanol as an intermediate. This pathway requires separate plants for methanol synthesis followed by DME production.
RealCarbonTech (RCT) is a clean fuels company based in the US. Its technology can produce e-DME in a single plant fed with CO2 and electrolytic green hydrogen. This plant has the same design as a methanol plant, but when tailored for the production of DME the process uses a different catalyst in the reactor. The benefit of the RCT approach is simplification of the process since it omits one reaction stage, resulting in reduced capital expense.
Tomasz Zmysłowski, CEO of RCT, says that “one of the advantages is our modular plant construction approach. This means we do not need a high concentration of renewable power or biogenic CO2 in one location. It also enables off-grid systems which can produce e-methanol or e-DME as a convenient way to move green electrons to consumers of energy or processors of sustainable chemicals.”
RCT has plans to construct a commercial unit which will have the capability to convert circa 170,000 tonnes per year of biogenic CO2 and electrolytic green hydrogen to produce more than 100,000 tonnes per year of e-DME.
Commercial operations are scheduled to start in late 2026 and early 2027. “There is still some capacity available for partners willing to consider off-take agreements from this project”, adds Zmysłowski. Product from the plant can be delivered to New York or any other US port.
Full article: https://www.gasworld.com/story/sustainable-swaps-for-lpg-cylinders-in-cooking-and-heating/2155220.article/
