DME production and supply specialist company
Application in agriculture and transportation fields begins in earnest

▲Biomethanol ISO tank trailer installed at Boeun Plant 2. / Provided by Biofriends

There are domestic companies that are gaining momentum in the low-carbon fuel supply business thanks to the government's strategies to foster new green industries such as Green Hydrogen, CCUS (carbon capture, utilization, storage), and bio resources. We visited BioFranz Co., Ltd., which showcases carbon-neutral technology that encompasses agricultural and transportation sectors, and heard about its business performance and future plans.

■Biofriends' main business is...

Biofriends Co., Ltd., established in 2016, is a specialized company that produces and supplies DME (dimethyl ether).

They have the technology to capture carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the atmosphere and CO₂ generated during industrial processes and convert it into methanol and DME (Di-Methyl Ether), which are basic raw materials for the chemical industry.

Recently, we are in the business of producing biohydrogen from biogas and reacting it with CO₂ to produce biomethanol and bioDME.

■Introducing DME technology...

DME is an oxygen-containing compound similar to methanol and is the ether with the lowest number of carbon atoms. Its physical properties are similar to propane and butane, the main components of LPG (liquefied petroleum gas), so it can be stored and transported in the same way as LPG. On the other hand, greenhouse gas emissions are much lower, making it a fuel that is attracting attention as e-Fuel.

Since it becomes bio-DME when manufactured from bio-based materials, it also has value as a clean energy source. It can be manufactured from various raw materials such as natural gas, coal, methane from coal seams, and biomass, and can be used as a means to transport and store hydrogen made from renewable energy power.

The boiling point of DME is -25℃, so it is a gas at room temperature and pressure, but it can be liquefied at 20℃ (about 5 atmospheres) and transported in a room temperature pressurized container.

As the industry has recently been reorganized into a field that captures, stores, and utilizes CO₂, expectations for the CCU business, which converts to platform compounds DME and methanol, are also increasing.

They are promoting the LPG-RDME mixed fuel business mainly in Europe and the United States, and are participating in CO₂ reduction by presenting a specific goal of producing 300,000 tons of rDME (Renewable DME) per year by 2027.

▲Biofriends business roadmap./Provided by Biofriends

■Businesses using DME...

Due to the recent abnormal climate, major countries around the world are looking for substitutes for raw materials such as greenhouse gas reduction and carbon tax, and Biofriends is increasing investment in the green DME business manufactured from captured CO₂.

Natural gas (NG) produces hydrogen through high-temperature facilities above 850℃, while methanol and DME react at 450℃. Because hydrogen is produced from relatively mild reaction heat, equipment costs are low, production costs can be reduced, and hydrogen reforming devices can be improved to be more compact. It can be used for ‘electricity-cooling/heating-CO₂ supply project’ in farm facilities measuring approximately 1,000 pyeong (3,305.78512㎡).

Regarding hydrogen for farms, it is expected that highly cost-competitive facilities, such as DME generators, will be built first by 2028, and MW-level distributed power generation will be achieved by incorporating large-scale hydrogen fuel cells after 2028.

■The hydrogen sector business plan is...

Biofriends' main business is producing low-carbon compounds and fuels, and it plans to commercialize technology to produce e-Methanol and eDME from CO₂ along with blue-green hydrogen by 2027. After 2028, we plan to launch a decarbonized, eco-friendly fuel and raw material manufacturing business.

Currently, we are expanding our domestic and overseas sales network by producing methanol and DME using existing methods. Currently, the domestic market share is around 70%, and starting this year, we are exporting to Japan, Taiwan, and Malaysia.

Entering the hydrogen market can be divided into two aspects. Starting with the delivery of major equipment to Korea Gas Corporation's base-type hydrogen production base, we are participating in the Gwangju, Changwon, and Pyeongtaek hydrogen production base construction projects.

In addition, in order to develop blue-green hydrogen production technology, which is one of the clean hydrogen types, a pilot facility for producing 30 kg of hydrogen per day and manufacturing 90 kg of carbon black is being built and demonstrated at Boeun Plant 1.

In the future, we plan to expand our business to produce hydrogen from biogas with the goal of producing 600 to 1,000 kg of hydrogen per day.

In addition, an agricultural hydrogen fuel cell power generation complex project is being promoted. This is a model that produces hydrogen from methanol or DME and operates a hydrogen fuel cell facility.
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They are also participating in the smart farm project, a government multi-ministerial project. By installing a 20kW DME hydrogen fuel cell at Canaan Farmer's School in Wonju, we are demonstrating electricity production, construction of heating and cooling facilities, CO₂ capture, and carbonation cultivation of agricultural products.

This year, we plan to build our own smart farm demonstration center to apply DME generators and demonstrate the DME hydrogen fuel cell business. We are carrying out smart farm enlargement, hydrogen fuel cell project, and DME clean fuel supply project targeting Okcheon, Yeongdong, Goesan, and Jeungpyeong-gun.

■Notable business achievements are...

For example, the Korea Gas Corporation hydrogen production base hydrogen facility construction project, hydrogen production using DME, an eco-friendly agricultural fuel, and fuel cell-linked power generation.

Cyan Hydrogen is carrying out a demonstration worth 1 billion won in cooperation with Prime Plasma of the United States.

The full-scale project is to produce hydrogen and carbon black from biogas after 2024. The hydrogen production technology will be applied to the application field of producing e-methanol and eDME, and the produced e-methanol and eDME will be used as a hydrogen carrier or as clean fuel for ships. ·Planned to use it as agricultural fuel.