Dimethyl ether fuel proposed as an alternative to LNG
- Chiyoda Corp., Yokohama (Japan)
To cope with the emerging energy demand in Asia, alternative fuels to LNG must be considered. Alternative measures, which convert the natural gas to liquid fuel, include the Fischer-Tropsch conversion, methanol synthesis, and dimethyl ether (DME) synthesis. Comparisons are evaluated based on both transportation cost and feed-gas cost. The analysis will show that DME, one alternative to LNG as transportation fuel, will be more economical for longer distances between the natural-gas source and the consumer. LNG requires a costly tanker and receiving terminal. The break-even distance will be around 5,000--7,000 km and vary depending on the transported volume. There will be risk, however, since there has never been a DME plant the size of an LNG-equivalent plant [6 million metric tons/year (mty)].
- OSTI ID:
- 586088
- Journal Information:
- Oil and Gas Journal, Vol. 96, Issue 14; Other Information: PBD: 6 Apr 1998
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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