Significant commercial and regulatory developments worldwide are driving large increases in DME production capacity, and demonstrating its remarkable potential as an ultra clean, renewable, low-carbon fuel.  The IDA serves as the global voice for the DME industry, and works to promote the use of DME as a clean alternative fuel worldwide, to gather and communicate authoritative information about DME, and to coordinate relevant international activities and initiatives. The IDA has a global membership of companies, institutions, and individuals from Asia, Africa, the Americas, Australia, Europe and the Middle East, and from every sector of the industry, representing a wide range of interests within both the upstream and downstream value chains.

Join the Global DME Industry in Sweden this month
4th International DME Conference (DME 4)

An extraordinary week of activities connected with the global DME industry is set to begin next week in Sweden.  The week will include the biennial international conference; DME Fundamentals Tutorial; workshops and meetings on DME Regulations and Standards, Health, Safety and the Environment, Research & Development, and the launch of the new European Affairs Committee; site visits to key facilities involved in the BioDME project, and meetings of the International Standardization Organization (ISO) DME workgroup and the Japan DME Vehicle Promotion Committee.  Conference registration is still open -  Click here for the program and to register online.

IDA to Launch European Affairs Committee in September
A new IDA committee to address policy, regulatory and technology issues in Europe will be launched in September during the DME 4 conference.

Current and proposed EU legislation linked to renewable fuels, emissions, and the environment offer a number of opportunities for DME to demonstrate its strengths.

DME 4 Offers Close Look at BioDME Project
The IDA's 4th International DME Conference will include site visits to the world's first BioDME plant and the inauguration of a new filling station where Volvo's DME truck fleet will refuel.  More...

BioDME
The BioDME project now underway will demonstrate the possibilities offered by DME as an ultra-clean transportation fuel, and involves the complete chain from production of fuel from biomass to its utilization in vehicles.  The project, begun in 2008 and set to conclude in 2012, is partially funded by the European Union and involves a consortium of industry partners: Chemrec, Delphi, ETC, Haldor Topsoe, Preem, Total, and Volvo. 

Oil and Gas Consortium Announces DME Plant in Vietnam
18 March, Hanoi | Construction of a DME plant in Vietnam is one of the first projects announced by the country's first private oil and gas consortium, Sao Nam Petro.  The consortium, recently established with the participation of DSME (South Korea), AGR (Norway), Longbeach Oil and Otto Energy (Australia), also announced plans to engage in projects in Vietnam's offshore oilfields.  More...

Project website

DME Rebounding as Alternative to Diesel for Trucks and Cars
Fleet Owner |
Several big players in the global car and truck market are rekindling an interest in dimethyl ether or “DME” as an alternative fuel, largely because it’s relatively cheap, requires very low injection pressures, and produces little pollution from combustion. More... 

DME Production Announced in Indonesia to Meet Household Gas Needs
24 June 2009 | Indonesian companies PT Pertamina and PT Arrtu Mega Energie have announced a joint venture to develop a DME refinery, with a total investment of US$1.9 billion.  Production is expected to begin by 2012, with a projected capacity of 1.7 million tons of DME per year produced from low grade coal.  Pertamina is conducting a market trial involving the distribution of canisters filled with a DME/LPG blend to homes and home industries in Jakarta. 

DME: From Spray Cans to Fuel Tanks
DownstreamToday | The growing popularity of DME in China is such that annual production is expected to grow from 2 million metric tons as of last year to 20 million metric tons by 2020. Most of the new Chinese production will be used for transportation. More...

IDA Position Paperon the China LPG cylinder safety issue