The carbon dioxide hydrogenation to methanol technology independently developed by Geely Innovation Center passed the achievement evaluation

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On November 30, 2025, the methanol production technology developed through carbon dioxide hydrogenation, created by Geely Innovation Center, successfully passed the authoritative evaluation of scientific and technological achievements conducted by the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation. The evaluation committee unanimously concluded that the overall achievement is at the international advanced level, with the catalyst performance reaching the international leading level. After three years of research and development efforts, Geely Innovation Center has successfully overcome the key technical bottlenecks in the industry regarding the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide to produce methanol. This innovation is reflected in two main aspects: First, by employing innovative strategies such as pre-synthesis of support materials, deposition of active components, creation of a hydrophobic functional layer, and in-situ self-driven pore formation, a comprehensive preparation process for catalysts was developed. This process significantly enhances the mechanical strength and water resistance of the catalysts. As a result, highly active, selective, and stable catalysts for the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide to methanol have been created; both the overall conversion rate of carbon dioxide and hydrogen, as well as the overall selectivity for methanol production, exceed 99%. Secondly, the team has completed the scale-up production of catalysts on a tonnage scale, and based on the performance data of these core catalysts, they have successfully developed a process package suitable for the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide to methanol on a 100,000-tonne scale, thereby removing the barriers related to process adaptation that hindered the large-scale application of this technology. The Geely Innovation Center has completed a pilot project for the production of methanol from carbon dioxide via hydrogenation on a scale of 1,000 tons, achieving 2,000 hours of continuous and stable operation without any decline in catalyst performance; the engineering feasibility of this technology has thus been fully verified. In October 2025, this pilot project successfully passed a 72-hour continuous on-site assessment organized by the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation. The results of the assessment showed that the process flow of the pilot plant was reliable and its operation was stable; key performance indicators such as the overall conversion rate of CO2 and H2, as well as the overall selectivity for methanol, exceeded expectations. Moreover, the impurity content in the crude methanol was much lower than the industry standard. This achievement not only verifies the practical applicability of this technology but also lays a solid foundation for the construction of subsequent industrial facilities on a 10,000-ton scale. At present, the catalyst for producing methanol from carbon dioxide and hydrogen developed by Geely Innovation Center is ready for mass production and commercial sale. It can meet the needs of domestic chemical companies for low-carbon methanol production technologies, while also breaking the market monopoly held by foreign catalysts and enabling the use of domestically produced alternatives for these key materials. In the future, the Geely Innovation Center will rely heavily on Geely’s methanol circular economy ecosystem to accelerate the industrialization and market promotion of this technology, thereby contributing to the upgrading of the global industry for the sustainable utilization of carbon dioxide and providing strong technical momentum for a green and low-carbon transition.