Launch of the development project for synthesizing methanol via carbon dioxide synthesis and hydrogenation using liquid solar fuel

Thread Content

Project Launch for Developing Technology for Synthesizing Methanol via Carbon Dioxide Synthesis and Hydrogenation Using Liquid Solar Fuel Author/Source: Yahuah Coal Chemical Industry Date: 12-10-2018 Clicks: 5 With the establishment of the “Petrochemical Group Academicians and Experts Workstation” in Lanzhou New Area on November 26, 2018, China’s first industrial demonstration project for the synthesis of liquid solar fuel entered its implementation phase. This project is China’s first demonstration facility for solar fuel production, built by the team led by Academician Li Can from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with the Petrochemical Group. The efficient catalysts developed by Academician Li Can’s team have enabled substantial progress in the technology of synthesizing methanol through the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide. The Lanzhou New Area Liquid Solar Energy Fuel Synthesis Project, which involves the development of technologies for producing methanol through hydrogenation of carbon dioxide derived from water electrolysis using renewable energy sources such as solar energy, is backed by the core technology provided by the team led by Academician Li Can from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences – namely the catalytic process for hydrogen production via solar-driven water electrolysis. This project is developed and implemented through a collaboration among the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Lanzhou New Area Petrochemical Industry Investment Co., Ltd., and Suzhou Gaomai New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. It is reported that the Petrochemical Group of Lanzhou New Area has currently completed the site selection and land clearing for the project, finalized the design and scale of the photovoltaic power generation facilities, and ensured the availability of essential infrastructure such as water, electricity, and gas; thus, the conditions for project construction are now in place. The total investment planned for this project is approximately 80 million yuan. It aims to build a facility with an annual production capacity of 1,000 tons of methanol, and it will consist mainly of four system units: solar photovoltaic power generation, water electrolysis for hydrogen production, carbon dioxide capture, and the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide to produce methanol. The project requires approximately 1,500 tons of carbon dioxide and about 200 tons of hydrogen per year, with completion planned for August 2019. Once the device is operating stably, the scale of carbon dioxide hydrogenation to methanol will be increased to 3,000 tons per year, based on performance evaluations and calibration results. This project is China’s first demonstration facility for solar fuel production. Once completed, it will use the renewable and clean energy source of solar power to generate electricity for water electrolysis in order to produce hydrogen. Hydrogen, when combined with carbon dioxide, will be used to synthesize fuels and chemicals such as methanol, thereby helping to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and enabling the sustainable use of carbon resources. This project possesses the functionality of the light-independent reactions in photosynthesis, and it represents an important approach for producing liquid fuel from solar energy. Its technological process ranks highest among similar studies conducted in China at present; it is the first project in the country to truly achieve the production of methanol using clean energy sources such as solar energy.