Life Cycle Assessment of DMC Produced with the Commercial “Eni” Process
Timeline
March 2024 - June 2024
Client
Northwestern University
Problem Statement
Conventional production of dimethyl carbonate
(DMC) relies heavily on fossil fuels and generates
significant environmental impact. As DMC demand
grows with electrification, sustainable alternatives
are urgently needed.
This project explored the feasibility of
producing DMC via an electrochemical process
powered by renewable electricity. Using life cycle
assessment (LCA), the team evaluated environmental
trade-offs, cost drivers, and system design to
compare this green method against conventional
approaches.
Project Overview and Scope
Goal : Evaluate electrochemical
production of DMC as a sustainable
alternative to fossil-based methods.
1. Process Design : Modeled
electrochemical DMC production using CO₂ and methanol.
Process flow diagram built in Aspen Plus with reactor,
separation, and recovery steps.
2. LCA : Created life cycle inventory
using ecoinvent, GREET and literature data. Used TRACI 2.1
for impact categories (e.g., GHG emissions,
acidification, fossil depletion).
3. Scenario & Sensitivity Analysis :
Tested impacts of electricity source (wind, solar, grid).
Analyzed sensitivity to efficiency, recovery,
and separation performance.
4. Technoeconomic Analysis:
Estimated capital & operating costs.
Compared levelized cost across scenarios.
LCA results for the electrochemical process for DMC production by unit operation and electricity source.
Tools and Applications Used
Aspen HYSYS- used for process modelling and energy requirements
GREET - Used to estimate emissions profiles and fuel cycle energy use
Ecoinvent - Used as the basis for comparing both electrochemical and conventional production routes
Microsoft Excel- for graphing and data collection
Project Documents
Click here to see our full report
Click here to see our presentation