AUTHOR=Styring Peter , Sanderson Peter W. , Gell Isaac , Skorikova Galina , Sánchez-Martínez Carlos , Garcia-Garcia Guillermo , Sluijter Soraya Nicole 

TITLE=Carbon footprint of Power-to-X derived dimethyl ether using the sorption enhanced DME synthesis process

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Sustainability

VOLUME=3

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainability/articles/10.3389/frsus.2022.1057190

DOI=10.3389/frsus.2022.1057190

ISSN=2673-4524

ABSTRACT=<p>Dimethyl ether (DME) could have a promising future as a sustainable diesel fuel replacement as it requires only relatively minor engine modifications. It can be produced from renewable H<sub>2</sub> and captured CO<sub>2</sub> using Power-to-X technologies. To gain support through the EU Renewable Energy Directive, the production and use of CO<sub>2</sub>-derived DME as a fuel needs to produce emission savings of at least 70% over the petrodiesel alternative. This study assesses the carbon footprint of producing DME <italic>via</italic> the sorption-enhanced DME synthesis (SEDMES) process and using it as a transport fuel, compared to producing and using fossil-based petrodiesel. The cradle-to-grave (well-to-wheel) carbon footprint of using DME as a transport fuel is found to be 77% lower than for petrodiesel, if offshore wind power is used for H<sub>2</sub> synthesis and DME production. If renewable energy is also used for CO<sub>2</sub> capture and waste heat is used for the DME production and purification steps, the DME carbon footprint has the potential to be over 90% lower than that of the fossil-fuel comparator.</p>