Dimeta, KEW Technology plan waste-to-DME production plant

Dimeta and KEW Technology, a sustainable energy solutions company, teamed up to create a waste-to-DME plant through their Circular Fuels joint venture.

Renewable and recycled carbon DME is a sustainable liquid gas produced through feedstocks such as non-recyclable wastes and is chemically similar to LPG. When blended with LPG, low-carbon DME can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 85 percent, improve air quality and decarbonize the off-grid sector. It can also achieve over 100 percent emissions savings when carbon capture is used, according to Dimeta.

Located in Teesside, U.K., the waste-to-DME production plant will produce more than 50,000 metric tons of DME from non-recyclable waste, the equivalent of 25 percent of LPG domestic heating in the U.K. The total project investment of more than £150 million will create jobs in the local area, with 250 roles available during construction and more than 50 skilled permanent positions when production is underway, as well as supporting dozens more indirect jobs in the feedstock and fuels supply chain.

The two companies also participated in COP28, where they drove conversations about the critical role they believe renewable liquid gases play in the energy transition and showcased their commitment to sustainable development and innovative solutions for mitigating climate change.

“There is an urgent need to mitigate the climate crisis and provide cost-effective energy to the hardest-to-abate sectors, such as off-grid homes and businesses that need it most,” says Frankie Ugboma, CEO of Dimeta. “By harnessing the potential of renewable and recycled carbon DME, we can decarbonize the LPG sector and reduce carbon emissions, ensuring a fair energy transition for all.”

“Our solution is a vital enabler for communities to manage their waste responsibly, and renewable and recycled carbon DME is proving to be a real game changer as it provides a sustainable and seamless replacement for existing LPG infrastructure in off-grid homes,” adds Hans Mansson, chief technology officer at KEW Technology.

“By deploying our technology in local communities, we’re helping to reduce emissions from waste collection and disposal and redirecting local waste away from harmful practices like burning or landfill and instead creating a local-based, low-carbon alternative to fossil fuels targeting hard-to-abate off-grid, industrial, cooking fuels and transport sectors.”

Dimeta is also exploring a renewable and recycled carbon DME plant on the Gulf Coast with Canadian ethanol and methanol producer Enerkem and a plant in northwest Europe.

Dimeta is a joint venture between SHV Energy and UGI International developed to further the production and use of DME, a low-carbon sustainable liquid gas.

KEW Technology’s gasification solution converts various types of non-recyclable wastes and low-grade biomass into sustainable energy products, such as DME, hydrogen, heat, sustainable chemicals and advanced molecules such as renewable methanol, renewable methane and sustainable aviation fuel.

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