The industrial test on methanol production from carbon dioxide hydrogenation passed the assessment

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The industrial pilot plant for producing methanol from carbon dioxide via hydrogenation passed the assessment. According to Chengda Company, on September 25, 2020, the world’s first industrial pilot plant with a capacity of 5,000 tons per year for producing methanol from carbon dioxide through hydrogenation – developed and constructed jointly by China Chengda Engineering Co., Ltd., CNOOC Fudao Company, and the Shanghai Institute of Advanced Study of the Chinese Academy of Sciences – passed the on-site inspection and technical evaluation carried out by a panel of experts organized by the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation. The industrial test plant for the production of methanol from carbon dioxide and hydrogen is located at Offshore Oil Tomishima Co., Ltd. A successful drive was carried out in July 2020, achieving stable operation. According to Sinochem New Network, from an economic analysis perspective, by using new, high-efficiency catalysts for the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide to produce methanol in place of imported catalysts, the cost of these catalysts can be reduced by 40,000 yuan per cubic meter. Based on an analysis of production capacity and energy consumption, the new catalyst can increase the conversion rate of carbon dioxide, with the plant’s production capacity expected to rise by around 2%. Based on natural gas sources with a current methane content of 62%, a methanol plant with an annual production capacity of 1.4 million tons can increase upstream natural gas consumption by 45 million standard cubic meters per year. In terms of carbon emission reduction, Fujishima Company’s two methanol plants consume about 10,000 tons more carbon dioxide per year. Recently, this technology can be integrated with China’s hydrogen-rich industries (propane dehydrogenation, ethane cracking, coke oven gas, and chlor-alkali production) to enable the synthesis of low-cost green methanol, thereby driving the transformation and upgrading of China’s traditional industries. In the medium to long term, as electrolytic hydrogen production technology improves and costs decrease, it will be possible to integrate this approach with hydrogen production from renewable energy/nuclear energy, thereby enabling the synthesis of methanol with a negative carbon footprint and truly fostering the development of a circular, sustainable ecosystem for green clean energy.