What is E-methanol?
Introduction
- Methanol is one of the most practical alternatives to conventional fuels, as it can reduce carbon emissions by up to 95%. e-methanol is produced with renewable energy.
- E-methanol can be used without a change in infrastructure. Its inherent stability allows it to be stored at room temperature and ambient pressure, giving it an indefinite shelf life, and making it close to a drop-in fuel compatible with existing infrastructure.
- E-methanol can be used directly in industries and shipping. It’s derivatives gasoline and kerosene provide solutions for road and air transport.
How is Green Methanol made?
E-Methanol is also referred to as ‘green’ methanol because of the way in which it is produced: combining biogenic CO2 (put simply, CO2 created by burning biologically based materials, such as biomass) with hydrogen, created by water electrolysis.
E-Methanol enables hydrogen economy
Economics
- The methanol synthesis process compresses the gaseous mixture into liquid as it moves through pipes over catalysts, producing e-methanol.
- The current cost of producing e-methanol is estimated at $800 to $1,600 per ton, assuming the carbon dioxide used is captured from industrial sources at $10 to $50 per ton and not directly from the air, according to a Methanol Institute and Irena report.
- For comparison, producing methanol from fossil fuel sources costs about $100 to $250 per ton, the report said.
- Biogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) is carbon dioxide released as a result of the combustion or decomposition of organic material, that is biomass and its derivatives. Examples include carbon dioxide released during the combustion of wood and biogas generated by decomposition.
- The capital investment for a methanol-fueled newbuild or retrofit is lower because there is no need for pressurization or costly cryogenic fuel tanks and systems. “The whole design is simpler, which makes building the ship easier and less expensive, and fuel handling is also less challenging,”
- Methanol fuel tanks take roughly 2.5 times more space than oil tanks, while cofferdams are required in some cases for protection. Methanol is also a toxic and flammable low-flashpoint fuel that does require specific safety precautions, which are, however, significantly simpler than those for LNG.
- There are currently 122 ports with methanol storage facilities worldwide, and various ports. European regulations require specific certification for fuel to be considered as “green” and count towards the ETS (Emission Trade System) and eventually, the shipowners themselves will want reassurance that the fuel they buy is truly green.
Benefits
- Methanol is easy to use; shipping companies have been using black methanol (fossil-derived carbon)
- Even if it is not a primary fuel, it can complement the shipping operations.
- The carbon required for green methanol must come from renewable sources for the fuel to be genuinely sustainable.
- Likely to be in short supply compared to the huge future demand.
Disadvantage
- It burns easily and is toxic when untreated.
- You need carbon to produce it, and this carbon must come from renewable sources for the fuel to be genuinely sustainable.
- Likely to come in short supply compared to the huge future demand.
- Expected to become more expensive, as there is potentially more demand than supply.
Methanol storage is not more complicated than other liquid fuels, methanol hubs are already widely available.
E-Methanol for sustainable energy
Sustainable transport fuels
- Sustainable transport fuels can play a key role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The aviation and maritime sectors currently rely almost exclusively on fossil fuels.
- E-methanol may offer a solution. The synthetic fuel releases less C02 than natural gas, another lower-carbon alternative to diesel-based marine fuels, and is starting to gain some traction in the shipping industry.
- Made by combining green hydrogen with carbon dioxide, e-methanol is liquid at ambient temperatures and pressures, which means it holds more energy in less space than natural gas or hydrogen. That makes it more efficient to transport and store — though diesel takes even less space, with twice the energy content of methanol.
Bio CO2-a sustainable business from biogenic carbon dioxide
- Mitigation of climate change will require major changes in the operation of the energy use in the energy system and industrial production. World-wide change of ecosystem is going on which can be seen as a major investment on renewable energy especially solar and wind energy. Also new business opportunities are seen globally in bioeconomy based on various biogenic sources.
- Carbon capture and utilization (CCU) is referred to as a family of technology concepts utilizing captured CO2 as a feedstock for other processes, to produce materials, transportation fuels or to be utilized as a process medium e.g. carbon chemistry products, liquid biofuels, other products or enhanced oil or gas recovery.