China draft DME standards

Chinas new national standards will allow up to 20% dimethyl ether (DME) to mix into civil-use LPG. Relevant DME standards for vehicle and civil use are expected to be completed in 2008. Amid soaring international crude oil, coal-based DME is a popular alternative energy in coal-rich China. China has put a number of large-scale DME projects into operation in recent years, among them are Sinopec and China National Coal Group’s 3 million ton per year (tpy) DME project in Erdos and Xin’ao and 1 million tpy DME project in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu Province. (May 13, 2008)