Decarbonisation Technology - May 2023 Issue

CO 2 from waste or natural sources of CO 2 , and conversion of industrial flue gas. Table 2 shows a detailed SWOT analysis comparing syngas-to-methanol and CO 2 -to-methanol processes with green hydrogen.

up efforts for process and catalyst development for CO 2 -to-methanol conversion. Some future projects are shown in Table 3 . In addition, a lot of effort is being put into development and study to optimise the process:  Electrochemical CO 2 conversion : Electrochemical CO 2 conversion is a promising method for CO 2 -to-methanol conversion gaining traction in recent years. Research groups are working to scale up electrochemical reactors and optimise the operating conditions to improve the efficiency and economics of the process.  Hybrid catalysts : Hybrid catalysts combine multiple active components to achieve better selectivity and stability, and they are being developed and tested at larger scales. These catalysts may improve the overall efficiency and economics of the CO 2 -to-methanol conversion process.  Integration with renewable energy sources : Research groups are exploring the integration of CO 2 -to-methanol conversion with renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, and hydropower, to produce a sustainable and carbon-neutral fuel. This approach has the potential to reduce the energy requirements and carbon footprint of the conversion process.  Process optimisation : Process optimisation efforts are ongoing, with researchers working to optimise the conditions and parameters of the CO 2 -to-methanol conversion process to improve its efficiency and economics. This includes exploring different reaction conditions, such as temperature and pressure, as well as optimising the catalyst loading and reactant ratios. Overall, these scale-up efforts are focused on improving the efficiency, scalability, and economics of CO 2 -to-methanol conversion. With continued research and development, the technology has the potential to play a significant role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and advancing a more sustainable energy system.

Pilot units operating up to 2023 As of 2023, several pilot plants for

CO 2 -to-methanol conversion are operating around the world. Here is a non-exhaustive list of some of these plants and their capacities:  Carbon Clean Solutions, Tuticorin, India: Pilot plant capacity of 10 tons of CO 2 per day using a proprietary solvent-based absorption technology for CO 2 capture and conversion to methanol.  Carbon Clean Solutions, Teesside, UK: Collaboration with the utility company Northern Gas Networks with a pilot plant capacity of 0.1 tons of CO2 per day using the same solvent-based absorption technology for CO 2 capture and conversion to methanol as the Tuticorin plant.  Global Thermostat, Huntsville, Alabama, USA: Pilot plant capacity of 4 tons of CO 2 per day using a patented direct air capture technology for CO 2 capture and conversion to methanol.  Siemens Energy, Rotterdam, Netherlands: Pilot plant capacity of 1.25 tons of CO 2 per day using a novel CO 2 electrolysis technology to convert CO 2 to methanol.  Carbon Recycling International, Iceland: In 2019, CRI started up its plant in Svartsengi, Iceland, with a capacity of 50 tons of methanol per year using a process that combines CO 2 from geothermal power plants with hydrogen from electrolysis.  Enerkem, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada: Pilot plant capacity of 1 ton of CO 2 per day using a thermochemical process to convert CO 2 to methanol.  Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Yokohama, Japan: Pilot plant capacity of 0.3 tons of CO 2 per day using a proprietary catalyst to convert CO 2 to methanol.  Hubei Sanning Chemical, China: Pilot plant capacity of 5,000 tons of methanol per year using CRI’s Emissions-to-Liquids process. Pilot units efforts for process and catalyst development and scale-up As of 2023, there are several important scale-

This article was revised on 16th June 2023

VIEW REFERENCES ONLINE Nieves Alvarez nalvarez@meryt-chemical.com