Why in news?
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR‑NCL) announced a pilot project to produce dimethyl ether (DME) as an alternative to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The project aims to enhance India’s energy security amid geopolitical uncertainties.
Background
DME (CH3OCH3) is a clean‑burning, colourless gas with a high cetane number. It can be made from natural gas, coal, methanol, or biomass and can substitute diesel or LPG.
- Pilot details: the partners plan to build a 2.5‑tonne‑per‑day demonstration plant over three years in Pune. If successful, they intend to scale it up to 100–500 tonnes per day.
- Why DME? global LPG supplies have been disrupted by the West Asia crisis. DME can be blended with LPG (up to 20 percent) without major modifications and burns cleanly, emitting less soot and NOx than diesel.
- Uses: besides being a cooking fuel, DME is used as an aerosol propellant and can replace diesel in engines, offering high efficiency and low emissions.
- Environmental benefits: DME production from biomass or waste can reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It has no sulphur and produces almost no particulate matter during combustion.
By diversifying the LPG supply base and promoting domestic DME production, the project could reduce import dependence and contribute to cleaner energy.
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