Dimethyl Ether Market- Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, 2018-2028 Segmented By Feedstock (Coal, Natural Gas, Methanol, Bio-based, Others), By Application (LPG Blending, Aerosol Propellants, Industrial, Others), By Region, and Competition

Global Dimethyl Ether market is anticipated to grow significantly through 2028 due to the increasing applications in LPG blending. In 2022, the consumption of liquefied petroleum gas across India was more than 25.4 million metric tonnes.

Global Dimethyl Ether market is expected to expand during the projected period due to increasing applications in LPG blending as blending provides a safer, cleaner, and more environmentally benign fuel for cooking and heating. A popular trend right now is to go green. There will likely be a huge need for dimethyl ether as clean fuel becomes increasingly in demand due to escalating environmental contamination. The market expansion is expected to be augmented by other significant reasons, such as rising greenhouse gas emissions and diminishing oil reserves. Dimethyl Ether (DME) is known as methoxymethane, wood ether, dimethyl oxide, or methyl ether. It is an organic compound with the formula CH₃OCH₃. It is produced by converting hydrocarbons to synthesis gas using a gasification process. The same approach is in process regarding the carbon capturing & utilization approach for converting Carbon dioxide into Dimethyl Ether in one step method using a bifunctional heterogeneous catalyst. It is frequently utilized as a substitute to gasoline for use in vehicles, as fuel for power plants, as propane in liquified petroleum gas (LPG), and as a raw material for the production of a variety of chemical goods.

For instance, Topsoe is involved in a project in Pitea, Sweden, for converting black liquor a by-product from the paper industry to synthesis gas, which is then converted to DME and use this DME as fuel of Volvo large trucks.

Furthermore, the market is being further stimulated by the extensive use of Dimethyl Ether as an aerosol propellant in producing medicines, paints, coatings, and personal care items, including fragrances and hair sprays.

For instance, PCC SE produce OOO DME Aerosol which is used in the cosmetics industry, household chemicals and construction sector.

Furthermore, Chemours Company offers a range of propellant products, specifically HP DME and HP 152a propellants, that are low-VOC, zero-ODP, and widely used in personal care applications including haircare, shaving creams, deodorants and antiperspirants.

Additionally, the expanding demand for DME for increased drilling and fracturing efficiency and higher oil recovery is a growth-inducing driver. Aside from that, the market is dominated by corporate activity, increasing R&D spending, and governmental trade and export laws. The market is growing due to consumer preferences for new technologies that optimize profit. The worldwide dimethyl ether market is therefore expected to grow throughout the course of the forecast period.

Download Free Sample Report

Rising demand for LPG blending applicability Driving the Market

In the current scenario, one of the world's most pressing issues is global warming. The primary cause of this is fossil fuel use. A large concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere alters the climate cycle, which in turn causes various problems, including pollution and glacier melting, among others. Modification of the current fuel source is one way to rectify this problem. In order to reduce harmful emissions, improve combustion, and reduce dependency on LPG, DME is blended with it as a fuel alternative additive. This is projected to boost the future market outlook for dimethyl ether.  Governments and regional regulatory bodies should promote the use of renewable energy sources in order to minimize CO₂ emissions.

For instance, according to the World Energy Council, China, the region's largest coal resource, will have 80.2 thousand MTOE (million tonnes of oil equivalent) in total recoverable coal reserves by 2020, which will assist cut down on imports and fulfil the region's expanding DME demand at reasonable costs.

Therefore, increasing demand of DME for LPG blending application anticipate the growth of Global Dimethyl Ether market in the upcoming years.

Increasing Demand from the Automobile sector

The market for dimethyl ether is primarily driven by rising automobile demand. As a result, many companies and manufacturers choose to use higher-quality gasoline in their vehicles. This will consequently create fresh growth opportunities. Dimethyl ether is being used in hybrid automobiles by the automotive industry more and more. The market for dimethyl ether is expected to grow as a result. There has been a sharp rise in demand for both diesel and bio-diesel as a result of a few automakers searching for crossover vehicle options worldwide. The need for dimethyl ether for the production of biofuels will rise as initiatives to fulfil energy demands from sustainable sources obtain support from several national governments. As a consequence, major players in the worldwide dimethyl ether market are anticipated to gain a lot from the biofuels sector.

Methanol Will Continue to Be a Key Feedstock

The worldwide dimethyl ether market has been divided into methanol, natural gas, coal, bio-based, and others, depending on the raw material used. In the following years, the dimethyl ether market is anticipated to be dominated by the methanol sector. The ease with which DME may be produced using methanol as a raw material is reflected in the strong demand. In addition, it is easy and inexpensive to create DME from methanol. The segment's expansion is being hampered by the pollution from using coal as a raw material to produce DME as well as DME produced from natural gas is a costly method.

For instance, TOYO Engineering developed indirect DME production technologies and catalysts by adding the DME synthesis process to the methanol plant and this production can be adjusted to suit market demand, enabling highly flexible production strategy.

Thus, increasing utilization of methanol based DME in various applications propel the growth of Global Dimethyl Ether market in the projected period.

However, dimethyl ether is generated from various raw materials such as methanol, coal, natural gas, and biomass. Fluctuations in prices of raw materials such as coal and natural gas also fluctuate the price of the dimethyl ether. The fluctuation in the raw material prices can significantly impact the profitability of dimethyl ether manufacturers, making it challenging to plan and forecast production costs accurately.  Along with this, with increasing investment in technological advancements to produce more and easy production of DME, the production costs are still relatively high compared to traditional fuels such as diesel and gasoline. This can make it difficult for companies to compete in the fuel market and limit the adoption of DME which slow down the market growth. Moreover, there is a lack of awareness and understanding of dimethyl ether among consumers and businesses as many of them are still not aware of the benefits of using dimethyl ether which restrain the growth of market.

Strategic Developments

• In January 2022, PT Bukit Asam Tbk jointly with Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. committed to the development and implementation of the downstream coal project into dimethyl ether (DME) in the Tanjung Enim Industrial Area, Muara Enim, South Sumatra, Indonesia.
• SHV Energy and KEW Technology announced a joint venture (Circular Fuels Ltd.) to develop renewable dimethyl ether (rDME) production plants that demonstrate the viability of converting renewable and recycled carbon feedstock into renewable liquid gas in June 2021.
• With a capacity to produce 20 kilotons of DME annually, Caribbean Gas Chemical Limited (CGCL), a joint venture between the National Gas Company of Trinidad and Mitsubishi group companies including Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company (MGC), Mitsubishi Corporation (MC), and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engineering (MHIENG), began commercial dimethyl ether (DME) production on December 18, 2020, announced by Mitsubishi Corporation in January 2021.
• Under the "Aditi Urja Sanch" program, India's Minister of Science, Technology, and Earth Sciences introduced a customized burner unit for DME-LPG mix as a home cooking fuel. The newly created stoves are anticipated to run on LPG that is 30% DME mixed. To lessen its reliance on LPG, the nation is making a concerted effort to considerably expand DME usage, as per information in October 2020.
• In February 2020, Oberon Fuels, a manufacturer of renewable, ultra-low-carbon dimethyl ether (rDME), and SHV Energy, a propane fuel distributor, joined to promote the use of renewable DME and lessen the carbon footprint of transportation fuel.

Market Segmentation

Global Dimethyl Ether Market is segmented based on feedstock, application, and region. Based on feedstock, the market is divided into coal, natural gas, methanol, bio-based, and others. Based on application, the market is divided into LPG blending, aerosol propellants, industrial, and others. Based on region, the market is divided into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, South America, Middle East & Africa.

Company Profiles

Akzo Nobel N.V., Haldor Topsoe Holding A/S, Toyo Engineering Corporation, Oberon Fuels Inc., Mitsubishi Corporation, Ferrostaal GmbH, Grillo-Werke AG, China Energy Limited, PCC SE, Nouryon Holding BV are some of the key players operating in Global Dimethyl Ether Market.

Report Scope:

In this report, global dimethyl ether market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends, which have also been detailed below:

• Dimethyl Ether Market, By Feedstock:
• Coal
• Natural Gas
• Methanol
• Bio-based
• Others
• Dimethyl Ether Market, By Application:
• LPG Blending
• Aerosol propellants
• Industrial
• Others
• Dimethyl Ether Market, By Region:
• North America
• United States
• Canada
• Mexico
• Europe
• Germany
• France
• United Kingdom
• Spain
• Italy
• Netherlands
• Russia
• Sweden
• Asia-Pacific
• China
• India
• Japan
• Indonesia
• Malaysia
• South Korea
• Australia
• South America
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Middle East & Africa
• South Africa
• Saudi Arabia
• UAE

Competitive landscape

Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in global dimethyl ether market.

Available Customizations:

With the given market data, TechSci Research offers customizations according to a company’s specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:

Company Information

• Detailed analysis and profiling of additional market players (up to five).

Global Dimethyl Ether Market is an upcoming report to be released soon. If you wish an early delivery of this report or want to confirm the date of release, please contact us at [email protected]