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[tvoivozhd <tvoivozd AT infionline.net>]

        **

*Contract License and Basic Engineering of the First Large-scale Plant 
for Production of DME*

Lyngby, June 16 2004

Petrochemical Research & Technology Company (NPC-RT) of Iran and Haldor 
Topsoe A/S of Denmark have been, under a collaboration agreement signed 
two years ago, engaged in a joint effort to demonstrate new technologies 
for the petrochemical industry. It is with a great pleasure to announce 
that this collaboration has now resulted in a contract with Zagros 
Petrochemical Company to license technology, provide engineering and 
supply catalyst for a dimethyl ether (DME) plant.

The plant which is to be constructed at Bandar Assaluyeh, Iran with a 
capacity of 800,000 MTPY of DME, is based on technology and catalyst 
developed by Haldor Topsoe A/S for dehydration of methanol and made 
available in Iran by joint scientific and technical collaboration with 
NPC-RT.

The implementation of this project will result in a world-wide increase 
in DME production of more than 200% and represents a breakthrough for 
the application of DME as a green fuel.

For further information on the project, please contact Haldor Topsoe A/S 
at: jep AT topsoe.dk <mailto:jep AT topsoe.dk> and NPC-RT at: info AT npc-rt.ir 
<mailto:info AT npc-rt.ir>. For information on DME, please visit the 
International DME Association homepage: www.aboutdme.org 
<http://www.aboutdme.org>.

On the subject of conversion and densification I would like to note the 
recent
development of a catalyst by Haldor Topsoe which converts syngas (H/CO) to
DME (dimethyl ether).  It uses a slurry bubble column to convert syngas to
methanol to DME in a single pass with efficiencies approaching 90%.
   This is at the commercialization stage in Japan and they already have
demonstration vehicles in service.  DME is very similar to LPG and a lot
of research is currently focused on it's use as a Diesel substitute because
of it's cetane rating of 55.  A standard dual fuel propane conversion 
kit will
get you on the road without the development time.  I think a portable wood
chip gasifier and DME production system at the biomass source is one
solution for site conversion to a portable fuel.