Review and perspective: Next generation DME synthesis technologies for the energy transition

Renewable dimethyl ether (DME) is expected to contribute to the decarbonization of several sectors, including domestic heat supply and transport. The shift of the carbon source used for the production of DME from fossil to renewable, such as biomass, waste or captured CO2, entails an industrial challenge in terms of reactors, operation regimes, catalysts and product purification, with strong technical and economic repercussions. In this work, we review the latest developments on this topic, focusing on the direct synthesis of DME, and especial attention has been paid to the separation-enhanced technologies for DME production, including the Sorption Enhanced DME Synthesis (SEDMES). We address other aspects that are often neglected, such as the impact of heat and mass transfer phenomena, which become increasingly relevant in processes in which several reaction and sorption stages occur in the same reactor. We also include a techno-economic section that gives insight in the feasibility of several renewable DME production processes. Finally, we review the most recently deployed installations for renewable DME production, at commercial or pilot scale, as a model of the near-future of the DME industry.