Methanol & Related Information
The global market of methanol was valued at over 37 billion U.S. dollars in 2021 and expected to reach nearly 62 billion U.S. dollars by 2030. There are now several technologies now available to produce renewable methanol and many more technologies to utilize it. Along with all the existing uses for methanol, it can become the key technology to recharge millions of electric cars since the existing electric grid is not nearly big enough to do re-charge all these cars. For example, take a look at this EV charge station fueled by methanol: Affordable and efficient hydrogen production (from methanol) on site and on demand Energy.
For an overview of the renewable methanol business opportunity, visit: Renewable Methanol Report by Methanol.org.
Given below is a summary of methanol and related information we have assembled:
0) Methanol (also called methyl alcohol and wood spirit, amongst other names)
1) Methanol production equipment supplier (Air Liquide)
a) Methanol from Natural Gas: Air Liquide’s Lurgi™ Megamethanol
b) Methanol from CO2: Air Liquide’s CO₂ to Methanol
2) Renewable methanol production processes:
a) PNNL developed a new carbon capture solvent and process to produce methanol, which they claim to be the “Least Costly Carbon Capture System to Date”. On March 10, 2023, PNNL hosted a webinar about this technology. To view the recording of this webinar, visit: Integrated Carbon Capture and Conversion: A Roadmap for Economically Capturing and Recycling CO2 (https://youtu.be/J0DUP-mPDTo ).
b) Process and catalyst to produce methanol from natural gas and CO2 by the Alberta Carbon Conversion Technology (ACCT) Centre.
c) Methanol from CO2 by Air Liquide: Air Liquide’s CO₂ to Methanol
d) Methanol plant by Kapsom: Kapsom Methanol Plant
e) Carbon Recycling International Methanol from CO2: CRI Methanol from CO2 plant. Report about new commercial methanol from CO2 plant.
f) Linde Engineering Methanol Plant
g) Thyssenkrupp (Essen, Germany) is harnessing excess renewable energy to obtain clean hydrogen from electrolysis and sourcing excess CO2 from industrial sources to create renewable methanol.
h) Next Methanol Inc., Shakespeare, Ontario, which used a process developed by Ultra Clean Ecolene Inc., Kincardine, ON
i) REIntegrate, Denmark – Article: Circle K Danmark announces green e-methanol off-take deal with REintegrate, 27 November 2020
j) For a list of companies making renewable methanol, see page 13 of Renewable Methanol Report by Methanol.org.
3) Renewable methanol plants:
a) Enerkem with Shell, Suncor, Proman, Hydro-Quebec to produce methanol will be 100.000 tonnes annually. Operational activities are scheduled for 2023.
b) Maverick Synfuels – Oasis Methanol Plants – small-scale modular methane-to-methanol production plant that can be co-located at the source of the methane
c) Carbon Recycling International’s (CRI’s) new commercial methanol from CO2 plant in China.
d) Renewable methanol world map
4) Methanol to hydrogen to produce on demand electrical energy: See: InnovationNewsNetwork: Affordable and efficient hydrogen production (from methanol) on site and on demand Energy, 30th March 2023. Contacts:
a) Dave Edlund PH.D., Co-Founder and CEO, Element1, 63050 Plateau Dr, Bend, OR 97701, USA
b) Greg Haugen, CFO
5) A 2021 report from the American Bureau of Shipping estimated the cost of green methanol at $643/tonne and grey methanol at $417/tonne. ICCT: A step forward for “green” methanol and its potential to deliver deep ghg reductions in maritime shipping, September 1, 2021.
6) Methanol Market Size and Growth:
a) Statista Methanol Market Info: The global market of methanol was valued at over 37 billion U.S. dollars in 2021. This figure is forecast to experience continual growth over the next decade, reaching a value of nearly 62 billion U.S. dollars by 2030.
b) Research and Markets: Methanol (CAS 67-56-1) Global Market Research Report 2023
7) List of Largest Methanol Producing Companies
8) Used methanol production plant for sale by Phoenix Equipment Corporation: Used Methanol Plant (has been on sale for several years)
9) Some options to low-carbon hydrogen on a very large-scale that can be used to convert CO2 to methanol. This could include the following:
a) X-energy’s Helium-Cooled Small Modular Reactor: Xe-100 that can power a thermochemical water-splitting iodine-sulfur process to produce hydrogen on a large-scale.
b) Proton Energy’s hydrogen production process from depleted oil and gas fields.
c) Offshore wind farms and seawater to power the CO2 to methanol process:
i) Clean energy breakthrough produces hydrogen from sea water for cheap – A low-cost catalyst, cobalt oxide coated with chromium oxide, was used by Jijo Malayil, Feb 02, 2023
ii) Seawater split to produce green hydrogen by Jessica Stanley, University of Adelaide, Feb. 1, 2023
10) Reports and websites about renewable methanol:
a) IRENA: Innovation Outlook: Renewable Methanol, January 2021
https://www.irena.org/publications/2021/Jan/Innovation-Outlook-Renewable-Methanol
“Methanol is essential for the chemical industry and represents an emerging fuel for a wide range of uses. Although largely produced from fossil fuels, it can also be made from sustainable, renewable-based energy sources.
Around 98 million tonnes (Mt) are produced per annum, nearly all of which is produced from fossil fuels (either natural gas or coal). • The life-cycle emissions from current methanol production and use are around 0.3 gigatonnes (Gt) CO2 per annum (about 10% of total chemical sector emissions). • Methanol production has nearly doubled in the past decade, with a large share of that growth being in China. Under current trends, production could rise to 500 Mt per annum by 2050, releasing 1.5 Gt CO2 per annum if solely sourced from fossil fuels. • The cost of producing fossil fuel-based methanol is in the range of USD 100-250 per tonne (t).”
b) Renewable Methanol Report by Methanol.org
c) Renewable Methanol by Blue Technologies, BLUE AALBORG, Headquarters, Langerak 15A, 9220 Aalborg Øst, Denmark, +45 31 40 88 89
12) Consulting firms focused on methanol:
a) Mr. Mark Berggren, Managing Director, Methanol MSA
13) Companies purchasing long-term off-take agreements for green methanol:
a) Maersk.com: A.P. Moller – Maersk engages in strategic partnerships across the globe to scale green methanol production by 2025, 10 March 2022, Copenhagen, Denmark – To boost the global production capacity of green methanol, A.P. Moller – Maersk (Maersk) enters strategic partnerships with six leading companies with the intent of sourcing at least 730,000 tonnes/year by end of 2025.
The six companies are CIMC ENRIC, European Energy, Green Technology Bank, Orsted, Proman, and WasteFuel.
A.P. Moller – Maersk is an integrated container logistics company working to connect and simplify its customers’ supply chains. As the global leader in shipping services, the company operates in 130 countries and employs approximately 95,000 people.
