Clean Energy from Coal-Derived DME

Clean Energy from Dimethyl Ether

 

In the course of our dispatches documenting the truth that coal can be economically converted, via established, even well-known, technologies, into all the liquid fuels and organic chemical manufacturing materials we need, and pave the way to sustainability, through direct and indirect routes of carbon dioxide recycling, we've guided you to some commercially-available research reports on the subject. Herein is another. And, it might be one you should consider acquiring, if you do, as we believe everyone in Coal Country should, want to know the full truth of coal's vast potential to provide us with clean liquid fuels, plastics manufacturing raw materials, and innovative technological bases for recycling Carbon Dioxide that would establish true sustainability in all of those industrial endeavors.

 

The excerpt:

 

"Clean Energy from Dimethyl Ether

MENLO PARK, Calif.---Dimethyl ether (DME) is a clean energy fuel that can be manufactured from various primary energy resources including coal. DME is a colorless, nontoxic and environmentally benign compound used in industry today as a solvent and a propellant in aerosol products. When DME is combusted, it generates absolutely no sulfur oxides and 90% less nitrogen oxide emissions than today’s fossil fuels. Today, SRI Consulting (SRIC) published its techno-economic report DME from Coal providing detailed analysis of two leading DME from coal technologies and their process economics.

Author and SRIC senior consultant Ron Smith commented, “According to the International Energy Agency, long term global energy demand is expected to increase by 60% between 2002 and 2030. In this report, we have calculated that DME as an energy source is economically viable when the crude oil price is at US$55 a barrel. Clearly DME needs to be part of the future energy supply.”

Conventional DME (methanol dehydration) technology lacks the efficiency for large-scale production. By integrating coal gasification and single step DME technology, large-scale production can be achieved from low cost coal. SRIC‘s DME from Coal report provides process economics for integrated production of DME from coal using indirect process technology developed by Haldor-Topsoe, and a direct process technology developed by JFE Holding. The report shows comparative economic summary results for both technologies which are presented at two different capacity levels, 2500 and 5000 metric tons/day.

The DME from Coal report is essential for technical and business managers involved in planning and understanding the market potential of DME as a fuel for power generation, transportation, and domestic use, as well as for the production of industrial chemicals."

Again:

"DME is a clean energy fuel that can be manufactured from ... coal" and "we have calculated that DME as an energy source is economically viable when the crude oil price is at US$55 a barrel."

Oil closed yesterday, November 10, 2009, on the New York Mercantile Exchange, at US$78, and change, per barrel.