Indian scientists have developed an indigenous technology to produce Dimethyl Ether (DME), a clean-burning fuel that could serve as an alternative to liquefied petroleum gas. The innovation was created by researchers at CSIR–National Chemical Laboratory in Pune and is expected to support India’s push toward domestically produced energy solutions.
Dimethyl Ether burns significantly cleaner than conventional LPG, producing much lower levels of soot, sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter. Scientists say the fuel offers similar thermal efficiency for cooking and heating applications, making it a potential environmentally friendly substitute for widely used household fuels.
The technology uses an indigenously designed catalyst that converts methanol into DME through a patented process. According to Thirumalaiswamy Raja, Chief Scientist at the laboratory, the research effort began nearly two decades ago with the aim of developing a cost-effective and sustainable production method.
Researchers have already tested the concept through a pilot plant capable of producing around 250 kilograms of DME per day and are now working on scaling the technology to an industrial demonstration facility with a capacity of about 2.5 tonnes daily. Experts say wider adoption of DME could reduce emissions and help India lower its dependence on imported fuels.
