Where is the path for alcohol-ether fuels?

People might think this is a clichéd issue that has been discussed many times, with plenty of opinions already expressed. The hopes are mainly placed in the following areas: 1. Methanol-based gasoline. In fact, methanol-based gasoline is merely a remedy for the energy crisis. The problem is that there is no longer a shortage of oil supply; therefore, introducing such gasoline requires **policy support, and its actual implementation needs the backing of CNPC and Sinopec. But will CNPC and Sinopec be willing to provide such support? ! Even if a policy regarding methanol-blended gasoline were indeed introduced, the volume involved wouldn’t be as large as people imagine. Domestic gasoline consumption is around 50 million tons; adding 15% to that amounts to only 7.5 million tons. Yet by the beginning of 2009, the production capacity for methanol already exceeded 23 million tons, with another 20 million tons in development. Therefore, methanol gasoline is not a fundamental solution, not to mention that the environmental issues associated with methanol still need to be addressed. 2. Downstream products: Everyone is talking about developing downstream products for methanol, but the question is which ones should be developed. They are mainly formaldehyde, acetic acid, and dimethyl ether. Yet none of these products is not already in excess; one surplus leads to another, so isn’t that still a dead end? So, downstream, downstream – the key is, where is downstream? 3. For the production of gasoline from methanol, it is reported that 2.5 tons of methanol are required to produce one ton of gasoline; coupled with the water and electricity consumption, there is no economic advantage under current conditions. Methanol to olefins seems promising, but during 2009–2010 several refineries with a capacity of tens of millions of tons were put into operation in China, and the economic viability of methanol-to-olefins processes remains uncertain. So the question remains: where is the way out? I’d like to ask everyone for their advice. This post was last edited by cxwl007 on 2009-3-13 14:34.]

This issue is worth studying. Those who buy coal to produce methanol have no immediate solution; they have to wait for coal prices to drop. When producing methanol by mining coal oneself (or when coal prices are very low), the following situations apply: (1) For large-scale methanol production, it is possible to convert it into methane and connect it to the gas pipelines (Phase 1 and Phase 2) as a supplement to natural gas. The profits are lower, but it is still feasible to operate in this way. It is beneficial for **and the ordinary people alike. In (2), replace methanol with fertilizer. The fertilizer market is good right now. Reformed methane works too. (3) Small methanol, shifted to fine chemicals. (4) Be patient and wait to see how things go after MTO and MTP start operating. (5) In areas within the mainland where there are no refineries, it can be extended to MTG. The use of natural gas for methanol production should not be expanded any further; the price of natural gas is about to change. Stop starting new ones. Of course, it’s easy said but hard done, and it also costs a lot of money. This post was last edited by Liang Hua on 2009-3-13 15:18]

Combusting gasoline is a major approach, but the greatest hope lies in the success of MTO industrialization demonstrations

1) Large amounts of methanol can be converted into methane, which can then be used in the pipelines of **natural gas pipelines (Phase 1 and Phase 2) as a supplement to natural gas. The profits are lower, but it is still viable. It is beneficial for **and the ordinary people alike. In (2), replace methanol with fertilizer. The fertilizer market is good right now. Reformed methane works too. (3) Small methanol, shifted to fine chemicals. (4) Be patient and wait to see how things go after MTO and MTP start operating. (5) In areas within the mainland where there are no refineries, it can be extended to MTG. The use of natural gas for methanol production should not be expanded any further; the price of natural gas is about to change. Stop starting new ones.

If significant technological breakthroughs are achieved in the field of carbon-based chemicals, it would be equivalent to a complete industrial revolution, and people’s lifestyles would undergo tremendous changes.

Alcohol-ether fuel website: www.chunmiranliao.com – specialized in the research of alcohol-ether fuels. There are several ways to utilize alcohol-ether fuels: – Producing alcohol-ether-based fuels such as methanol gasoline, methanol diesel, and methanol heating oil; – Converting methanol into solid alcohol for use in hot pot fuel; – Alcohol-based gases – producing liquefied gas from dimethyl ether