Expert on the pilot program for methanol-powered vehicles under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology: Developing methanol-powered vehicles is in line with China’s national conditions

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Expert on the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s pilot program for methanol-powered vehicles: Developing methanol-powered vehicles is in line with China’s national conditions. Author/Source: Guiyang Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology. Date: July 15, 2019. Clicks: 20. On June 26, at the conference on methanol-powered vehicles, methanol fuel cells, and related application technologies held in Guiyang (hereinafter referred to as the “conference”), the venue, which could accommodate several hundred people, was completely filled. Representatives from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, local authorities, industry organizations, and relevant enterprises took the stage to offer their ideas for the future development of methanol fuel in China. This marks a new phase in the development of methanol fuel in China – after a long period of development, it now has new opportunities for growth, both in terms of governmental support and market-based operations. At the conference on methanol-powered vehicles, He Guangyuan, head of the expert group responsible for the pilot projects related to methanol-powered vehicles under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and former minister of the Machinery Industry, said in his speech: “I am 90 years old this year. Over the 20 years since I retired, I have been paying close attention to the development of methanol fuel in China. I believe that as an alternative fuel, methanol fits well with China’s resource conditions.” ； The second is an **important guarantee for energy security! I have talked about this issue countless times in various settings, but the development of methanol has been rather difficult. Today, seeing how strong the methanol industry has become, and especially noting the support and positive attitude shown by central leaders toward methanol, I feel that the development of this industry is becoming increasingly clear. ” In March this year, the \"Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Use of Methanol Vehicles in Certain Areas\" (hereinafter referred to as the \"Methanol Guidelines\"), issued jointly by eight ministries and commissions, acted like a boost for the methanol industry. The “Methanol Guidelines” state: “Accelerate the adoption of methanol-powered vehicles to diversify vehicle fuels and ensure energy security.” The focus is on regions such as Shanxi, Shaanxi, Guizhou, and Gansu, which have favorable resource conditions and experience in operating methanol vehicles, to accelerate the adoption of M100 methanol vehicles. ” In response to this, Wei Anli, secretary-general of the expert group for methanol vehicle pilots under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, previously said: “Attention! This time it’s not a matter of whether to do it or not, but of accelerating its promotion and application! ” In fact, even before the issuance of the Guidelines, some regions in China with favorable methanol resources had already begun exploring the use of methanol-powered vehicles. At this exchange meeting, Li Li, an inspector at the level of director in the Department of Energy Conservation and Comprehensive Utilization under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said: “From 2012 to 2016, the ministry began conducting trials on methanol-powered vehicles. Five provinces and municipalities, as well as 10 cities, were selected for testing 1,024 such vehicles; the total distance covered was 184 million kilometers, with each vehicle reaching a maximum driving distance of 350,000 kilometers. Twenty methanol refueling stations were established, and a total of 24,000 tons of methanol fuel was used. During the entire pilot period, data was collected in 12 different categories, resulting in more than 500 million pieces of basic data and over 50,000 records. It can be said that every pilot unit now has very complete archives and documentation.” In addition, regarding hot topics of concern to the public such as the safety of methanol-powered vehicles, environmental protection issues, and energy efficiency throughout their life cycle, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has also commissioned relevant organizations to conduct specialized research and produce research reports. It can be said that through 5 years of systematic work, the adaptability, reliability, economic efficiency, safety, and environmental friendliness of methanol-powered vehicles have been thoroughly evaluated, laying a solid foundation for future efforts. ”