Process for oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane, comprising the steps of: (a) subjecting a stream comprising ethane to oxidative dehydrogenation conditions, comprising contacting the ethane with oxygen in the presence of a catalyst comprising a mixed metal oxide, wherein a diluent comprising carbon dioxide is fed to step (a), resulting in an effluent comprising ethylene, optionally acetic acid, unconverted ethane, water, carbon dioxide, optionally unconverted oxygen, optionally carbon monoxide and optionally acetylene; (b) removing water from at least part of the effluent resulting from step (a), resulting in a stream comprising ethylene, unconverted ethane, carbon dioxide, optionally unconverted oxygen, optionally carbon monoxide and optionally acetylene and a stream comprising water and optionally acetic acid; (c) optionally removing unconverted oxygen and/or carbon monoxide and/or acetylene from at least part of the stream comprising ethylene, unconverted ethane, carbon dioxide, optionally unconverted oxygen, optionally carbon monoxide and optionally acetylene resulting from step (b), resulting in a stream comprising ethylene, unconverted ethane and carbon dioxide; (d) removing ethylene from at least part of the stream comprising ethylene, unconverted ethane and carbon dioxide resulting from step (b) or (c) by a complexation separation method, which comprises contacting at least part of said stream with a liquid solvent comprising a complexation agent, resulting in a stream comprising ethylene and a stream comprising unconverted ethane and carbon dioxide; (e) partially and selectively removing carbon dioxide from at least part of the stream comprising unconverted ethane and carbon dioxide resulting from step (d), resulting in a stream comprising unconverted ethane and carbon dioxide and having a reduced carbon dioxide content; (f) recycling at least part of the stream comprising unconverted ethane and carbon dioxide resulting from step (e) to step (a). (a) subjecting a stream comprising ethane to oxidative dehydrogenation conditions, comprising contacting the ethane with oxygen in the presence of a catalyst comprising a mixed metal oxide, wherein a diluent comprising carbon dioxide is fed to step (a), resulting in an effluent comprising ethylene, optionally acetic acid, unconverted ethane, water, carbon dioxide, optionally unconverted oxygen, optionally carbon monoxide and optionally acetylene; (b) removing water from at least part of the effluent resulting from step (a), resulting in a stream comprising ethylene, unconverted ethane, carbon dioxide, optionally unconverted oxygen, optionally carbon monoxide and optionally acetylene and a stream comprising water and optionally acetic acid; (c) optionally removing unconverted oxygen and/or carbon monoxide and/or acetylene from at least part of the stream comprising ethylene, unconverted ethane, carbon dioxide, optionally unconverted oxygen, optionally carbon monoxide and optionally acetylene resulting from step (b), resulting in a stream comprising ethylene, unconverted ethane and carbon dioxide; (d) removing ethylene from at least part of the stream comprising ethylene, unconverted ethane and carbon dioxide resulting from step (b) or (c) by a complexation separation method, which comprises contacting at least part of said stream with a liquid solvent comprising a complexation agent, resulting in a stream comprising ethylene and a stream comprising unconverted ethane and carbon dioxide; (e) partially and selectively removing carbon dioxide from at least part of the stream comprising unconverted ethane and carbon dioxide resulting from step (d), resulting in a stream comprising unconverted ethane and carbon dioxide and having a reduced carbon dioxide content; (f) recycling at least part of the stream comprising unconverted ethane and carbon dioxide resulting from step (e) to step (a). <EOS>