One-on-one assistance and Q&A on methanation technology

How is it that no one is asking about such a great opportunity?:lol I work on methanation catalysts; it’s basic research. 1. Are the methanation catalysts used in domestic projects still imported? Has the catalyst developed by Datang been industrialized? 2. In the currently operating projects, what are the existing problems in the practical use of methanation catalysts? What are the challenges that need to be overcome? Thank you!

Haha, welcome to the discussion~ 1. The projects currently in operation in China all use foreign processes and catalysts; Dataneng Keqi uses DAVY, while HuiNeng and QingHua use Topsoe. However, the trend is toward the use of domestically produced methaneation catalysts. In the Energy Bureau’s 13th Five-Year Plan for natural gas development, it was required that at least one line in new coal-to-gas projects utilize domestic methaneation technology. I’m not sure whether the catalysts developed by Datang have been put into industrial use; as for domestic methaneation catalysts for coal-to-gas conversion, those developed by the Southwest Research Institute and Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics have already been industrialized. The coal-to-gas catalysts from the Southwest Research Institute are being industrially applied in several projects across the country. 2. The main problems with catalysts at present are: increased pressure drop toward the end of operation, and extending the catalyst’s lifespan. The first issue is the practical problem arising from the foreign catalysts during the operation of the project; the possible cause is the pulverization of some of the catalysts at the upper part. The second issue is that the cost of replacing the system every two years, as desired by the project owner, is too high; if its lifespan could be extended by a year or two, the costs would certainly decrease significantly.

I am here to learn as well. The methanation catalysts used in the current coal-to-natural gas projects are mostly imported, but many of the catalysts used in coke oven gas methanation projects are domestic. The issue of catalyst carbon deposition has always existed, right?

What are the main reasons for catalyst pulverization, carbon deposition? Water vapor content? Is the temperature still too high?

The specific reason is unknown. From a technical perspective, the reasons that may lead to the pulverization of methanation catalysts include: the intrusion of liquid water causing a sudden drop in temperature, which damages the catalyst structure ； Carbon deposition increases the pressure drop across the bed, placing excessive stress on the catalyst ； Generally, this problem may become more apparent toward the end of a catalyst’s operational life

Liquid water, which is under strict operational control, generally does not occur. The possibility of carbon deposition side reactions is greater; a high CO partial pressure in the syngas increases the risk of disproportionation and carbon deposition, and the catalyst’s ability to suppress such side reactions is crucial. Indeed, the pressure drop at the end of the catalyst life in some currently operating coal-to-gas projects is relatively high; however, the pressure drop in the designed methane processing section is also significant.

EcoGao has also developed catalysts for methanation, but they have not been put into practical use.