Govt to issue DME fuel regulation later this year

By Hisky Darmayana

The directorate general of oil and gas at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry will issue a regulation on the production of low-rank coal into dimethylether (DME) as fuel before the end of this year.

Director General of Oil and Gas Evita Legowo said that the regulation would become a legal base for companies wanting to process low-rank coal into DME. ?So far, there is a company in Banten which will produce DME from low-rank coal. The company is still waiting for the regulation to begin its activities,? she told Petromindo.com.

Evita said that the DME, which would be marketed for household use and transportation, should be produced under the standard set by the regulation. Pertamina and Lemigas oil and gas research institution would study the right composition of DME needed to be blended with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), she added.

DME, a clean, colorless gas that is easy to liquefy and transport, has been used as fuel in several countries including China , Australia , Japan and Iran .

Editing by Adianto P. Simamora