CSIR-NCL Pune develops indigenous Dimethyl Ether technology as LPG alternative

Key facts

• Scientists at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research - National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL) in Pune have created a patent-protected process to produce Dimethyl Ether (DME) from methanol using a cost-effective catalyst.
• The Bureau of Indian Standards allows up to 20 per cent DME blending with LPG under standard IS 18698:2024, and up to 8 per cent blending needs no change in existing LPG cylinders, regulators, hoses or burners.
• India imported nearly 21 million tonnes of LPG in 2024; replacing 8 per cent with DME could save around ₹9,500 crore in foreign exchange annually.
• The pilot plant scales 250 kg per day, and an industrial demonstration plant of 2.5 tonnes per day is planned within six to nine months.
• A patented burner prototype developed by CSIR-NCL can operate from 100 per cent LPG to 100 per cent DME and was tested at the LPG Equipment Research Centre in Bengaluru.