September 11, 2024
Green methanol is a promising, sustainable raw material that can find its way into the chemical industry or the transport sector as a biocommodity and is a direct replacement for fossil methanol. In contrast to conventional (grey) methanol, green methanol is produced in a way that significantly reduces CO₂ emissions in the chain. Green methanol is actually a collective term for:
1. E-methanol (Electro-methanol)
E-methanol is produced by combining hydrogen with CO₂. The hydrogen is made by splitting water by means of electrolysis. By sending an electric current through water, the water molecule (H₂O) is split into its constituent parts:
To do this sustainably, electricity from renewable sources such as solar or wind energy must be used. The CO₂ that must be added to produce e-methanol can come from the air (direct air capture) or from industrial processes. The production of green hydrogen is still a relatively expensive technology and the availability of CO₂ from (sustainable) sources is currently another limiting factor.
2. Biomethanol
Biomethanol is produced from biogenic sources such as residual flows from the wood processing industry and forestry, but also wood waste flows from construction and demolition.
Biomethanol can be made in two ways. The first is by imitating the gray methanol route. Methanol is now mainly made from natural gas (methane gas). But instead of methane gas of fossil origin, you use biomethane. Or green gas. Green gas is made from cleaned biogas. Methane can be converted into synthesis gas through a process of steam reforming. And synthesis gas can be converted into methanol. More about that below. How Perpetual Next produces biomethanol
Another way is to carbonize wood residues using a technology called Torrefaction. Torrefaction is the heating of wood residues in an oxygen-poor environment. These carbonized wood residues (biocarbon) are converted into synthesis gas using gasification technology. Synthesis gas is a mixture of carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H₂).
The next step is methanol synthesis. The synthesis gas is converted into methanol under high pressure (50-100 atmospheres) and high temperature (250-300 degrees Celsius) using a catalyst.
Advantages of biomethanol:
The production of biomethanol is a promising route to a more sustainable future. By developing efficient and cost-effective technologies, biomethanol can play an increasingly important role in the energy transition.
Conclusion:
Green methanol is a promising sustainable biocommodity and can be produced in two ways: e-methanol and biomethanol. E-methanol is made by combining hydrogen from green electricity with CO₂.
Biomethanol is produced by torrifying biogenic sources such as residual flows from the wood processing industry and processing them into synthesis gas. Raw material for developing methanol. Perpetual Next's know-how and unique experience with carbonization (torrefaction) technology makes the company a unique system integrator and the indispensable link for the existing infrastructure to produce a standardized product such as bio-methanol, based on a wide range of organic waste flows.