Abstract. . In recent years, there has been a growing interest in replacing petroleum fuels with so-called environmentally friendly second-generation fuels. Compared to conventional petroleum fuels, dimethyl ether (DME) can be used as a clean, high performance compression ignition fuel with reduced particulate matter (PM), sulfur oxides (SOx), hydrocarbons (CH), carbon monoxide (CO), as well as combustion noise. Compared to some of the other leading alternative fuel candidates i.e. methane, methanol, ethanol, liquefied natural gas, DME appears to have the largest potential impact on society, including greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere, non-petroleum feedstocks, full cycle efficiency, versatility fuel, infrastructure, affordability, economy and safety, and should be considered as the fuel of choice to eliminate dependence on oil.