Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is preparing to create a fuel plant manufacturing dimetil Ether (DME / CH3OCH3) in Iceland; and if the plans go through the plant should open in 2014 and fuel the whole Icelandic fisheries fleet. Mitsubishi has been working with Reykjavik Energy in a global geothermal alliance, but is in this case looking more towards Iceland and focusing on synthetic fuel.
The location of choice is Grundartangi, an industrial site by Hvalfjordur fjord in Iceland has hosted an aluminium smelter since 1998. The smelter will provide one of the key ingredients to create this type of fuel. Hiroaki Takatsu of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries confirms that preparations are well underway and work could start as early next year. The project is being worked in cooperation with the Icelandic government and should provide some 150 to 250 jobs. The plant should lower the demand for imported fuel a by third, focusing on the Icelandic shipping fleet to begin with as it fits well to ship engines with little adaptation and could replace diesel as the fuel of choice.
If things go well this type of fuel could also be exported.
About Dimethyl Ether (DME)
“Dimethyl ether (DME) is the organic compound with the formula CH3OCH3. The simplest ether, it is a colourless gas that is a useful precursor to other organic compounds and an aerosol propellant. When combusted, dimethyl ether produces minimal NOx and CO, though HC and soot formation are significant. DME can act as a clean fuel when burned in engines properly optimised for DME.”
“Yes, they use CO2 and H2, Hydrogen in gas form produced by electrolysis of water, when the Hydrogen is burnt it changes back to water.”
Well when you burn hydrogen it consumes oxygen and leaves water (H2O).
However, the hydrogen is this process is bonded to the carbon from the waste to make a Hydro-carbon. All fossil fuels are Hydro-Carbons.
So the process is very clean, its also small scale making about 1-2million euro’s of fuel per year. Good source of income, even at that level.
“So the CO2 is an existing waste product and the H is manufactured via electrolysis of water (resulting in waste Oxygen)?”
Yes, they use CO2 and H2, Hydrogen in gas form produced by electrolysis of water, when the Hydrogen is burnt it changes back to water.
http://www.japancorp.net/Article.Asp?Art_ID=22680
So the CO2 is an existing waste product and the H is manufactured via electrolysis of water (resulting in waste Oxygen)?
This fuel will be made from Carbon dioxide from the Aluminum factory and Hydrogen H2 produced in the factory,
only minor changes need to be done to use this fuel for diesel engines,
when the factory is ready it will produce 500 tons a day,
This also makes future oil spills related to accidents at sea far less likely, as only foreign ships will be running on oil.
They plan to increase production and export fuel.
This company is doing similar things
http://www.carbonrecycling.is/index.html
http://www.carbonrecycling.is/Technology.html
[…] Mitsubishi to start producing synthetic fuel in Iceland Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is preparing to create a fuel plant manufacturing dimetil Ether (DME / CH3OCH3) in Iceland and if plans go through this plant should open in 2014 and fuel the whole Icelandic fisheries fleet. Mitsubishi has been working with Read more at IceNews – Daily News […]
°cool!
So they are going to import natural gas and convert it into this fuel, presumably using waste heat from the smelter.
Ha s some advantages I suppose, but I’d prefer that made biofuel so its carbon neutral.