Completion of Boeun Plant 2, which produces 10,000 tons per year...It also targets the e-fuel market by producing methanol, DME, and hydrogen

▲ Biofriends held the completion ceremony for its second dimethyl ether (DME) plant in Boeun, North Chungcheong Province on the 31st. This plant can produce 10,000 tons of DME per year. (c)Energy Industry Newspaper, Biofriends

Biofriends completed the construction of a second dimethyl ether (DME) plant in Boeun-gun, North Chungcheong Province, capable of producing 10,000 tons per year, and held a completion ceremony on the 31st of last month.

With the construction of the second plant, Biofriends is now able to produce 15,000 tons of DME per year by adding 5,000 tons to the existing first plant's annual production capacity. Boeun DME Plant 2 invested 15 billion won on a 11,000㎡ site and was equipped with facilities such as a methanol storage tank, DME reaction plant, and DME storage tank.

At the Biofriends plant, methanol, DME, and hydrogen are produced all at once. The second plant captures carbon dioxide generated as a by-product in the cement kiln at Sungshin Cement's Danyang plant and converts it into methanol to use it as a raw material for DME. DME is again used as a raw material for producing hydrogen for fuel.

Biofriends' DME manufacturing process is designed and constructed using its own technology, uses methanol as a raw material, and produces, purifies, and sells DME through a dehydration reaction in a reactor. This company has a large-scale hydrogen production facility using DME as a raw material in its factory and produces and sells hydrogen. We also produce modular hydrogen extraction facilities for household use and hydrogen fuel supply devices for commercial facilities.

Dimethyl ether (DME) is a simple ether with the lowest number of carbon atoms and is synthesized by reacting hydrogen and carbon monoxide in a catalyst. Physical properties and calories are similar to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) propane, and air pollutants such as sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and carbon dioxide are emitted less when burned.

The boiling point is -25°C and the cetane value is 55 to 60, making it easy to inject and ignite fuel. DME, which can be applied to both diesel engines and LPG engines, is often used as a mixture or alternative fuel. In addition to fuel, it is also used as a refrigerant, foaming agent, spray propellant, and aerosol raw material. Recently, technology to obtain hydrogen fuel by reforming it is attracting attention.

Biofriends is participating as a key company in the 'Low Carbon Fuelization Technology Development Project Using Cement Industry Emissions CO', a national carbon capture utilization (CCU) project and a public-private collaboration project in Chungcheongbuk-do worth 39 billion won. In the future, the company is also seeking to expand its e-Fuel business, a fuel that synthesizes carbon resources such as carbon dioxide with hydrogen obtained by decomposing water into renewable energy electricity.

The completion ceremony held on the 31st of last month was attended by Wonjun Cho, CEO of Biofriends and Chairman of the Korea DME Association, Kim Myeong-gyu, Deputy Governor of Chungcheongbuk-do Province, Korea Automobile Research Institute Director Na Seung-sik, Boeun County Mayor Choi Jae-hyung, National Assembly member Park Deok-heum, Chungbuk Provincial Council Industrial and Economic Committee Chairman Park Gyeong-sook, and Chungbuk Science, Technology and Innovation Institute Director Kim Sang-gyu.

Kim Myeong-gyu, Deputy Governor of North Chungcheong Province, said, “The completion of Biofriends’ second DME production plant is a great success achieved through the company’s steady investment in technology development, the efforts of executives and researchers, and administrative support, and is an excellent example that serves as a model for the region.” .

Wonjun Cho, CEO of Biofriends, said, “We are expanding our business to enter the Asian DME market, and we will target the E-Fuel market by building a third plant with an annual production capacity of 30,000 tons as well as overseas plants.”

Source: Energy Industry Newspaper http://eitimes.kr