Green hydrogen for methanol production as a carrier for storing and transporting hydrogen energy
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The synthesis of liquid solar methanol requires green hydrogen, and the production of green hydrogen needs green electricity. China’s energy endowment is characterized by a shortage of gas, low oil reserves, and abundant coal; it has very rich renewable energy resources such as wind, solar, hydro, biomass, and offshore wind power. On nearly two-thirds of our country’s territory, solar energy resources can be utilized for commercial purposes. If 60% of the wind power potential in the Gobi region is tapped, it could meet the country’s energy needs. At present, China’s major power companies are increasing their investment in renewable energy generation; by 2030, the installed capacity of solar and wind power alone is set to reach or even exceed 1.2 billion kilowatts. Green hydrogen is produced by generating electricity from renewable sources and then electrolyzing water (it can also be produced through the photocatalytic decomposition of water), and its production process does not emit carbon dioxide. The by-product of the hydrogen energy utilization process is water, and no carbon dioxide is emitted. Therefore, green hydrogen will play an important role in achieving the \"dual carbon\" goals. Li Can explained that the process of producing green hydrogen is highly challenging. Over the years, his team has explored various approaches, focusing on fundamental research into the use of solar energy to split water and produce hydrogen, including photocatalytic water splitting, photoelectrocatalytic water splitting, thermochemical cycle-based water splitting, as well as using photovoltaic power to generate electricity for electrolytic water splitting to produce hydrogen.
At present, the first three technologies are still in the stages of basic research and applied basic research, while the technology of generating electricity from photovoltaics followed by water electrolysis to produce hydrogen has reached the stage of industrial application. Hydrogen is produced by splitting water using green electricity; approximately 33,000 kilowatt-hours of electrical energy are required to produce 1 ton of hydrogen. This represents the most efficient chemical energy storage and conversion process for transforming electrical energy into hydrogen energy. Although green hydrogen can prevent the generation of carbon dioxide at its source, it represents the fundamental approach to achieving carbon neutrality in industry. However, the safety and cost issues associated with the large-scale storage and transportation of hydrogen are quite significant, limiting its development. Methanol is an ideal chemical molecule for hydrogen storage, capable of addressing the safety and cost issues associated with the large-scale storage and transportation of hydrogen energy. 1 ton of methanol can produce 187.5 kilograms of hydrogen through steam reforming. Its hydrogen storage density is higher than that of liquid hydrogen, and it also offers a greater hydrogen storage capacity compared to other chemical methods for storing hydrogen; as a result, it is attracting increasing attention. Currently, the cost of high-pressure hydrogen is very high; one of the reasons for this is the high costs associated with transportation and storage. When transporting hydrogen in high-pressure cylinders, the cost doubles after just about 100 kilometers. However, methanol is easy to store and transport, has a lower cost, and is readily accepted by consumers. Therefore, as an excellent carrier for green hydrogen, methanol can be used for supplying hydrogen in vehicles, on a large scale in industrial settings, as well as for storing and supplying hydrogen at hydrogen refueling stations; it helps to address the safety and cost issues associated with the large-scale storage and transportation of hydrogen.
The liquid solar fuel synthesis demonstration project integrates the entire process technology for liquid solar fuel synthesis, possesses complete independent intellectual property rights, and its overall technology is at the international leading level. This technology features three innovations: first, a transition metal catalyst based on nickel with atomically dispersed particles was developed for electrolytic water splitting to produce hydrogen; this enables large-scale hydrogen production at a rate of over 1,000 cubic meters per hour per cell, with an energy conversion efficiency of over 82% ； Secondly, for the production of methanol via carbon dioxide hydrogenation, a new type of zinc-zirconium oxide solid solution catalyst was invented, which demonstrated excellent methanol selectivity and stability ； Thirdly, it successfully integrates the three units of photovoltaic power generation, alkaline water electrolysis for hydrogen production, and carbon dioxide hydrogenation for methanol production, addressing the issues related to compatibility between these units and their continuous operation, thereby enabling adaptation to the intermittent and fluctuating nature of photovoltaic power generation.
In the transportation sector, methanol can serve as a low-carbon, clean fuel to replace gasoline, thereby reducing dependence on oil and promoting environmental sustainability. The promotion and application of \"liquid sunlight\" methanol (green methanol) can not only address the pollution issues associated with the combustion of traditional fossil fuels, but it also represents an effective technical approach to achieving carbon neutrality in this sector. In our country, methanol fuel is currently widely used in power combustion and thermal combustion applications, and the application technologies in certain industries are at the world’s forefront. In terms of specific applications, methanol is used as a fuel source primarily in transportation vehicles and ships, as well as in fixed power generation equipment. With the relaxation of regulations regarding road vehicle management and the introduction of technical standards for ships, the promotion of its industrial use, along with the release of related products, is accelerating rapidly. In 2019, methanol-powered vehicles in China achieved full compliance in terms of policy approval, regulatory authorization, technical standards, market access, and after-sales maintenance. Our country was the first in the global automotive industry to achieve the industrial development and large-scale market application of methanol vehicles, and has engaged in multilateral cooperation on methanol vehicles with international counterparts. The above circumstances indicate that, from the perspectives of public awareness and industry acceptance, China’s methanol fuel industry has completed its initial exploration and pilot applications, and is now entering a phase of full industrialization and large-scale use. However, most of the methanol consumed at present is produced from fossil fuels (mainly coal-based methanol), which fails to effectively address the issue of carbon dioxide emissions. 2–3 tons of carbon dioxide are emitted per ton of coal used to produce methanol; taking into account the emissions from its combustion as a fuel, the total emission amounts to 3–4 tons of carbon dioxide.
In the process of ensuring energy security and promoting the large-scale use of methanol fuel, it is necessary to strongly encourage the methanol energy production industry to gradually shift from fossil fuel-based methanol technologies to renewable energy-based green methanol technologies. This means that it is necessary to initiate large-scale production of \"liquid sunlight\" methanol at the source of methanol energy production, in order to increase the proportion of green methanol production in our country. Previously, the Ministry of Transport, the Railway Administration, the Civil Aviation Administration, and the Postal Service jointly issued the \"Implementation Opinions on Actively Developing Transportation Vehicles Powered by New and Clean Energy,\" which stated that, building on the pilot projects for developing a strong transportation sector, pilot programs for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, vehicles powered by renewable synthetic fuels, and ships will be carried out in an orderly manner. Green methanol is beginning to be adopted in the fields of road transportation and shipping. The International Maritime Organization has begun requiring ships to use low-carbon, green (methanol) fuel. Maersk has begun to establish a global system for the production and supply of green methanol fuel for ships, with the goal of using 5 million tons by 2030. Recently, orders for 6 15,000 TEU methanol dual-fuel container ships from French shipping line CMA CGM were awarded to Dachan Group, with deliveries scheduled for the second half of 2025. It is evident that the use of green methanol in the shipping industry is growing rapidly, and the industry should pay close attention to this development. It is reported that the Liquid Sun methanol hydrogenation station was selected as a demonstration technology for new energy at the Zhangjiakou Winter Olympics earlier this year. Currently, the cost of hydrogen production from methanol using liquid sunlight is below 30 yuan per kilogram, which gives it competitiveness and enables a new scenario of co-location of oil, alcohol, and hydrogen production facilities.
Regarding the development of liquid-sun methanol technology, Li Can put forward the following suggestions: First, it is necessary to promptly research, formulate, and issue the \"Entrance Requirements for Methanol Fuel Manufacturing Enterprises,\" establishing scientific standards and regulations for such enterprises regarding basic requirements such as production raw materials, production scale, production efficiency, water consumption, and carbon recovery. Correspondingly, regulations and guidelines for methanol fuel manufacturing enterprises were formulated, setting requirements and standards regarding carbon recovery by these manufacturers, the construction of projects for producing methanol from \"liquid sunlight,\" and the phased targets for the proportion of green methanol. The \"Access Requirements\" represent rigid industry demands, while the \"Management Measures\" contain provisions that offer incentives and support to help achieve the specified percentage targets at certain stages. Secondly, it would be ideal to establish a mechanism for publishing a list of enterprises that produce green methanol fuel, ranking them based on the proportion of methanol produced as \"liquid sunlight.\" This would encourage methanol fuel consumers and the industry as a whole to give priority to purchasing methanol manufactured by the enterprises on this list or those that rank high. **Therefore, listed enterprises and those with high rankings are encouraged through subsidies in the form of a stepped carbon tax. Third, it is hoped that a green channel for the development of the “liquid sunlight” methanol industry can be established as soon as possible. Through incentive mechanisms under the **green finance framework, as well as green finance and fiscal policies, enterprises that meet the ‘Admission Criteria’ and ‘Management Regulations’ and are included in the list for green methanol fuel production are given priority in accessing renewable energy resources, and a fast-track approval process is provided for renewable energy project applications. Enterprises are encouraged and supported to use their own funds as well as external funding to develop ‘liquid sunlight’ methanol projects.
【Haichuan New Energy】Fuzhou launches a demonstration project for on-site ammonia-based hydrogen production and refueling stations https://bbs.hcbbs.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=3478230 (Source: Haichuan Network – Transforming with Haichuan)
It’s too hard to understand. Methanol production is aimed at obtaining hydrogen, while the synthesis of hydrogen and carbon dioxide is intended to produce methanol – isn’t that a lot of hassle? Green hydrogen and green electricity? Copenhagen has withdrawn.
The western region is rich in solar and wind energy, but faces a shortage of water resources. Please advise on how to balance this contradiction