Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Dimethyl Ether (DME) Production: Fossil Fuels vs. Biogas

This study conducts a comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to compare the environmental impacts of two alternative pathways for producing dimethyl ether (DME): one utilizing conventional fossil fuel-based processes and the other relying on biogas feedstocks. LCA is employed as a robust tool for evaluating the sustainability of these fuel production methods. The authors meticulously quantify resource inputs and outputs for both production routes in the inventory analysis phase. For conventional fossil fuel-based production, the value of the impact categories is retrieved from SimaPRO database. On the other hand, for biogas-based production, Aspen HYSYS is utilised to perform process simulations. The results of these are used as input for LCA analysis. Our findings reveal significant disparities between the two production pathways. Biogas-derived DME exhibit lower greenhouse gas emissions and reduced dependence on finite fossil resources. The biogas route also provides valuable co-benefits, such as organic waste valorization and potential improvements in soil quality through feedstock cultivation. However, it is essential to recognize that biogas-based production requires more land and water resources than fossil fuel-based. Therefore, trade-offs between reduced carbon emissions and increased resource use should be carefully considered, particularly in regions with limited land and water availability.