Abstract

Sustainable energy resources are required to address the rising demand for energy while promoting economic stability. Dimethyl ether (DME) is a second-generation environmentally friendly fuel that offers an alternative for replacing traditional petroleum fuels. In this project, we designed three distinctive pathways for the synthesis of DME from syngas. A comprehensive analysis was also conducted, including the production and thermal efficiency, economic, and environmental impact perspectives, to evaluate the outcomes of each pathway. For each section, a rigorous process simulation was conducted using Aspen Plus and considering detailed catalytic reaction modelling.
According to our results, the production rate of the Direct Method, yielding 1.21 kg DME/kg CO2, demonstrated an improvement to 1.37 kg DME/kg CO2 with the integration of the Reverse Water Gas Shift (RWGS) process. Notably, the Indirect Model emerged as the most favorable, exhibiting a superior outcome with a DME yield of 1.95 kg DME/kg CO2.
Conducting a Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) unveiled that the Indirect Method stands as the most economically advantageous, attributed to its lowest Minimum Selling Price (MSP) of 2465 $/tonne and the highest annual revenue of 437 $Million.
Upon assessing the environmental impacts of the pathways through the TRACI 2.1 methodology, it was revealed that the Indirect Method requires the lowest amount of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) avoided credits, valued at 0.164 $/kgCO2, due to the proximity of the MSP and the Market Price (MP).
The combination of superior yield and economic viability outcomes, positions the Indirect Method as the most competitively advantageous approach in this research.