Is it better to build a methanol production facility at a port, or in a coal mine?

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Given the severe situation of the nationwide drought at present, let’s discuss this issue. Based on coal-to-methanol production, large-scale methanol plants are currently under construction in Ningxia, Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia, Henan, and Anhui – all regions that face difficulties in obtaining water. Why not consider building these methanol plants near ports? 1. Approximately 1.4 tons of coal (~5500 kcal) are required per ton of methanol produced, while about 0.8 tons of coal are needed for power generation. The total water consumption is around 23 tons (about 7 tons for process purposes and 15 tons for power generation). In other words, 2.2 tons of coal are needed to produce 1 ton of methanol. 2. The cost of transporting coal by train is about half that of methanol, and there are many more constraints associated with transporting methanol. Therefore, from an economic perspective, transporting coal is more cost-effective than transporting methanol in the same market. 3. In terms of water usage, ports can make use of desalinated seawater, and seawater can also be used extensively as a substitute for water needed for power generation; therefore, it is more advantageous to build ports in such locations. 4. The local authorities in various coal mining areas **may have ideas of increasing GDP in one way or another by attracting investment through coal mining; as a result, they require methanol plants to be built in those areas. In doing so, they are actually affecting the local water sources that will be available for centuries – what a pity!