India's Indigenous Dimethyl ether Technology Breakthrough

Scientists at India===CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory in Pune have developed an indigenous, patent-protected technology for producing Dimethyl ether (DME), a clean-burning fuel. This innovation aims to reduce India's dependence on imported Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and enhance energy security under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. DME can be blended with LPG, with the India===Bureau of Indian Standards already issuing a standard allowing up to 20% blending. Substituting just 8% of LPG with DME could save India approximately ₹9,500 crore annually in foreign exchange. The technology converts methanol into DME using a cost-effective catalyst and has been successfully scaled to a pilot capacity. India===CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory plans to scale up to an industrial demonstration plant and seeks partnerships with major oil public sector undertakings and bioenergy companies for commercialization. Thirumalaiswamy Raja led the research team.