Russia currently operates more than 300 gas turbine power plants, such as the GTES-25P type. These plants emit large amounts of carbon dioxide when burning fossil fuels, exacerbating the greenhouse effect and global warming. A single such plant emits up to 1.3 million tons of CO₂ annually, with the national total approaching 400 million tons. The introduction of new technologies to reduce emissions is urgently needed. Scientists at Perm Polytechnic University have proposed a novel method that can cut harmful emissions by 45% while producing the valuable chemical product dimethyl ether (DME).

The GTES-25P gas turbine power plant has a capacity of 25MW/h and uses atmospheric air as the working fluid. During operation, air is mixed with natural gas or associated petroleum gas for combustion, and the combustion products are discharged into the atmosphere after passing through the turbine. Calculations by scientists show that the annual CO₂ emissions from such plants are enormous, causing negative impacts on the environment and biological health.

Nikita Kifel, assistant at the Department of Chemical Technology of Perm Polytechnic University, stated that methods to reduce the carbon footprint include improving raw material quality, using low-carbon fuels, developing low-emission combustion chambers, and researching CO₂ capture technologies. Among these, waste CO₂ can be injected into reservoirs to enhance oil recovery or used as a feedstock for synthesizing compounds, with dimethyl ether production being one example.

Dimethyl ether, the simplest ether, possesses unique properties and can be used for refrigeration, as a diesel substitute, and in the production of plastics and pharmaceuticals. Scientists at Perm Polytechnic University have developed a process flow diagram for producing dimethyl ether from waste CO₂ and calculated the contribution of the new method to carbon footprint reduction.

The process consists of several stages: first capturing CO₂ from flue gases, then converting it into synthesis gas, followed by the production of methanol and dimethyl ether. Associate Professor Yulia Mozhegorova from the Department of Environmental Protection explained that synthesis gas can be obtained from waste CO₂ using methane or hydrogen, but high-temperature heating is required, which may generate additional CO₂ emissions.

The results show that the proposed technology can reduce CO₂ emissions from a single power plant by 45% while enabling annual production of up to 1.2 million tons of dimethyl ether. The technology is primarily suitable for industrial enterprises operating gas turbine power plants, allowing them not only to cut CO₂ emissions but also to obtain a highly sought-after by-product. This work was carried out within the framework of the strategic academic leadership program Priority-2030.