Process for the preparation of gaseous synfuel

Process for the preparation of a gaseous dimethyl ether synfuel having a BTU value corresponding substantially to the BTU value of natural gas, said process comprising the steps of

• providing a synthesis gas comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide and nitrogen;
• catalytically converting the synthesis gas into a dimethyl ether raw product further comprising unconverted synthesis gas, the nitrogen and dissolved carbon dioxide;
• cooling and condensing the dimethyl ether raw product with the dissolved carbon dioxide to a liquid and a gaseous phase with the unconverted synthesis gas and the nitrogen;
• separating the liquid phase from the gaseous phase;
• treating the liquid phase to remove the carbon dioxide from the dimethyl ether raw product and to obtain a purified dimethyl ether product;
• and
• admixing and adjusting content of inert gas having a BTU value of about zero into the purified dimethyl ether raw product to obtain the gaseous dimethyl ether synfuel having a BTU value equal to that of the BTU value of natural gas, wherein the synthesis gas is prepared by air-blown gasification of a carbonaceous material.