Methanol is the elegant path to bioeconomy Methanol economy

Visionary foresters of the methanol forest

So from whom does the term methanol economy come from? The scientist, engineer and inventor Thomas reed With his book “Biomass to Methanol” (1974) and his lectures on the topic of methanol, he formulated the term “methanol economy” for the first time. This idea, which grew out of the oil crisis in the early 1970s, was further developed by Georg Andrew Olah, Nobel Prize winner in chemistry (1994) at the beginning of this century and together with his colleagues from the Loker Hydrocarbon Research Institute (Los Angeles) Alain Goeppert and GK Surya Prakash in the book "Beyond Oil and Gas - The Methanol Economy”Merged. In my opinion, these four scientists can be called the founding fathers or foresters of the methanol tree.

Strengths of a renewable methanol economy

Methanol can close the CO2 cycle

An important, perhaps the most important, strength of methanol is that it can be made from CO2. It can thus close the CO2 cycle and act as a CO2 sink.
Methanol is liquid at room temperature

This fact produces three practical advantages when using methanol: methanol is cheap and safe to transport and can also be stored easily. Methanol can be transported in normal tankers and does not require any special transport structures such as liquefied gas (LNG) cooled down to -160 ° C.
Methanol is very flexible

This applies both to its manufacture (upstream) and its use (downstream). The diversity of the methanol industry is explained in more detail in the following chapters.
Methanol strengthens independence

Methanol supports or can support a region's independence from fossil raw material imports. The greater the self-sufficiency in the supply of raw materials, the better the negotiating position when purchasing fossil raw materials at market prices.
Use of existing infrastructure

The existing fossil infrastructure, slightly modified, can continue to be used. The investments of the past decades in the development and further development of technologies, networks or distribution stations (petrol stations) can be written off longer.
Added value takes place regionally

As a result of the fact that raw materials such as CO2, hydrogen and energy can be obtained domestically, a state or group of states that relies on the methanol industry can generate a high proportion of local value added.
Methanol improves the carbon footprint

Depending on the manufacturing path, a significantly improved carbon footprint for fuels is possible (e.g. DME as a diesel substitute and methanol fuel cell).
Accelerating plant growth

Studies show that spraying plants with methanol accelerates their growth. The reason is that methanol is a much denser carbon source than air (1 ml of methanol contains as much carbon as 2.000.000 ml of air!).

Tree of the methanol industry: roots and trunk

What are the requirements for the growth of the methanol industry and from which roots does it originate? As the empirical formula of methanol (CH3OH) suggests, the elements hydrogen, carbon and oxygen are required for the composition. In addition, energy and a pinch of catalysts are needed to overcome the enthalpy of formation. Methanol therefore has similar requirements to any other organic structure: matter and energy. Based on these basic building blocks, there are various ways of forming the supporting trunk of the methanol tree: the methanol.

Process for the production of methanol (upstream)

The currently most common process for the production of methanol relies on syngas as the source for the hydrogen, as well as on carbon oxides to supply carbon and oxygen. Syngas is a gas mixture (CO, CO2, H2) and can either originate from gasification and fermentation processes or can be generated from methane and water using the steam reforming process. The magic of the methanol industry begins at the source of the carbon and oxygen. Why? CO2 can be used for the synthesis of methanol. This enables the chemical compound from Saul to Paul to mature, which is the unpopular “climate killer” at the center of the climate change debate. The methanol industry is therefore a promising way to accelerate the exploration of paths around carbon capture and utilization (CCU) or emissions-to-liquid (ETL).

If the energy required to generate the methanol even comes from renewable sources (e.g. renewable electricity), methanol synthesis will not only become an important CCU pathway, but also a promising Power-to-X (PtX) process. Renewable electricity can thus be stored elegantly. A further part of the path of the current energy and raw materials transition has thus gone. The door to circular bio-economy (Bioeconomy), such as the European Green Deal is aiming for, will be opened wide. Around 140 million tons of methanol are currently produced in our globalized world (2019). With this production volume, the flexible starting compound is now one of the most important organic basic chemicals.

Branches and branches of the methanol tree (downstream)

The roots of the methanol tree are water, coal and oxygen. The trunk is made up of methanol. Now to the branches of the methanol industry. The numerous fruits of the widely ramified economic growth thrive on them.

Just like the renewable circular economy based on methanol, the fossil economy is part of organic chemistry. An important difference between the two economic trees is that the renewable methanol economy is based on the rhythm of the short-term carbon cycle, while the fossil tree is rooted in the long-term carbon cycle. The removal of hydrocarbons from the fossil cycle is limited from our human perspective. Both farm trees are related in that they have the same structure and use similar technologies, processes and infrastructures. In addition, both offer great flexibility and branching in their applications. The thickest branches that grow from the methanol trunk are the following:

Methanol-to-olefins (MTO)

Hydrocarbons with carbon double bonds as they have, for example, alkenes or alkynes. The MTO branch is one of the most important within the tree of the methanol industry and enables the production of the most widely used basic organic chemicals. These are ethene with an annual production of 185 million tons (2018) and propene with 120 million tons. Another group of organic compounds that branch off from the MTO branch are the polymers. Polymers are composite building blocks of hydrocarbons such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polyoxymethylene (POM).

Synthesis of alcohols

Longer-chain and branched alcohols can be condensed from the short-chain methanol. The two most common alcohols are ethanol and propanol.

Aldehyde

If the hydrogen of the hydroxyl group is removed from the methanol by dehydrogenation, the simplest aldehyde is formed. According to the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) this is called methanal. With a worldwide annual production of almost 60 million tons (2019), methanal is best known under its trivial name formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is currently the most common form of conversion for methanol and is also used for the production of the polymer paraformaldehyde (PFA).

Ketone

Ketones can be produced by the oxidation of alcohols or by the ozonolysis of alkenes (olifens). They contain at least one carbonyl group (> C = O) that is not terminal. The most important ketone is acetone (C3H6O), which is obtained from propene and the most important aromatic hydrocarbon benzene (“benzene”). Acetone has a wide range of applications and is used with an annual production of around 10 million tons (2018) for the production of acrylic glass (plexiglass) or solvents.

Ester

Esters are obtained from an alcohol or a carboxylic acid by a condensation reaction (esterification). The resulting carboxylic acid esters are the most common esters found in nature and occur primarily as oils and fats (triglycerides). Esters and their derivatives have a wide range of applications, ranging from plastics (polyester, celluloid) to detergents and fuels (biodiesel) to food.

Ether

The ethers are one of the most promising compounds in the methanol industry. Ether are characterized by the presence of an ether group (ROR) and they often occur in nature as aromatics (anethole, vanillin, strobilurins). The simplest ether is also the most important representative of the methanol industry: dimethyl ether (DME). DME is obtained exclusively from methanol and does not require any additional starting materials (isobutylene) compared to the other ethers which are obtained from methanol. MTBE (methyl-tert-butyl) is also of great economic importance. The aliphatic ether is synthesized from formaldehyde and used as a knock protection agent for petrol or solvents. In Europe, ETBE is often used instead of MTBE. In addition, TAME (tert-amyl methyl ether) is increasingly being used, since it dissolves more quickly in the environment (groundwater).

Carboxylic acids

Carboxylic acids form a branch of the methanol industry, which itself produces many branches. The derivatives of carboxylic acid esters, carboxylic acid amides or the carboxylic acid halides can thus be synthesized from carboxylic acids. The two simplest carboxylic acids are methanoic acid (formic acid) and ethanoic acid (acetic acid). The production of acetic acid from methanol is very efficient and inexpensive, which is why it is currently the most common process.

Leaves and flowers of the methanol industry

In the previous section, the most important material branches were sketched, over which the tree one Methanol economy grows out of the economic soil. These organic ramifications of carboxylic acids, esters, alcohols etc. form the branches on which the business-to-business (B2B) or industry-to-industry business in the methanol industry starts. This section describes the flowers, leaves and fruits that the tree produces for the methanol industry. So we have reached the final refinement stage of the methanol tree. The point at which this promising growth in the bioeconomy affects the everyday lives of us end customers (business-to-customer, B2C). It is not very poetic, but we consumers judge an economic system primarily on the basis of the products it produces and which we hope will improve our lives.

Companies in the chemical industry collect and bundle energy like precisely aligned sheets to produce the basic building blocks of the methanol industry. The products of the chemical industry are analogous to the methanol tree for its flowers. Flowers that improve our everyday life more or less subtly are, for example: dyes, adhesives and plastics.

Fruits on the methanol tree

The shapes, colors and aromas of the flowers attract other industries. In the economic system, these take on the tasks that bees and butterflies fill in the ecosystem. They shape the flowers and support the ripening of the fruit or products of the methanol industry. Selected fruits and bee strains are:

Electronics

Insulators, bobbins, connectors, parts for electronic devices etc.

vehicle construction

Steering column, window regulator, door lock systems, joint shells etc.

Timber industry

Resins and chipboard

Groceries

Proteins, feed

Engineering

Housing parts, chains, fan wheels, screws, nuts, pump parts, valve bodies, gears, etc.

drugs

Furniture making

Fittings, locks, handles, hinges, curtain rolls etc.

Packaging industry

Bags, foils, tubes, boxes etc.

The moment when the methanol industry continues to thrive and in addition to carbon, water and oxygen also absorbs nitrogen, sulfur or phosphorus via the roots, its fruits become even more colorful. In the best case scenario, methanol is made from recycled CO2 and found as a kind White label, its access to many application paths of our economic system.

Methanol industry to support the energy transition

Traditionally, biomass muse mainly overwrites bioenergy, i.e. the energetic use of biomass (hydrocarbons) and is committed to the success of the energy transition. In the following, therefore, some approaches on how methanol can contribute to the success of the energy transition.

Methanol can be used in all three energy sectors (electricity, heat and mobility). The greatest potential as an energy source is clearly in the area of mobility. Why is that? Firstly, due to the lack of market-ready alternatives. E-mobility and infrastructure are only slowly opening up to combustion technology (as of 2019: 99,8 percent of cars are combustion engines) and classic ones Biofuelswhich could be used directly still digest those Acceptance problems of the past decade (Biospit). The most promising alternatives for the turnaround in traffic towards renewable drive systems and fuels are only slowly coming onto the road. In contrast to the electricity sector, Germany and most of Europe have not seen any progress in reducing emissions in the transport sector for years. One of the upcoming articles will deal with the potential and hopes that the RED II (Renewable Energy Directive) will bring to improve the situation.

What is the basic problem of the energy transition in the transport sector? While electricity and heat are largely in demand in a fixed location (buildings), the mobility sector is mobile in name. Without a direct power connection or a battery, a material and low-CO2 energy source is required. Methanol is liquid, storable and transportable like gasoline or diesel. In contrast to the classics among fuels, methanol is not a complex mixture of many different components, but a simple and homogeneous compound. Apart from small changes to the technology, cars can be operated with alcohol (methanol, ethanol), esters (FAME) and ether (DME) or mixed with fossil fuels (gasoline, diesel) without any problems. Methanol has the advantage of a higher octane number than classic gasoline, which means that engines run more stable or less the Klopfer. In general, alcohols are among the fuels with the highest octane and therefore knock numbers, which means that a better compression ratio of methanol and air in the engine leads to more efficient combustion. As the M15, a 15 percent methanol-gasoline mixture can already be used in any gasoline engine without retrofitting. DME is made from methanol, is the simplest ether and can be used as a diesel substitute. The higher cetane number of DME compared to diesel makes it easier to ignite the fuel in the engine and achieve more complete combustion. And that without the addition of potentially harmful additives. Because of its advantages, DME is currently experiencing a boom as an alternative fuel in Asia (China, Korea, Japa).

Methanol also has a lower emission of nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides and particulate matter than classic fuels. In the best case from a climate balance point of view, methanol is generated from CO2, green hydrogen and renewable electricity, which makes it CO2-neutral and forms a CO2 sink during storage.

As synthetic biofuels, biomethanol and bio-DME are exempt from the energy tax in Germany, which means that they cost 60 cents less per liter. Unfortunately, the following also applies to these alternative fuels: the greener they are, the lower their price competitiveness compared to fossil fuels. An increasing CO2 price In addition to advances in R&D, this will help to ensure that price differentials will continue to decrease over the next decade. Another disadvantage of methanol as a fuel is that the cold start is slightly slower than with petroleum-based fuels. In addition, the energy density or calorific value of methanol is lower than that of gasoline or diesel. On the other hand, methanol burns more completely, which leads to a roughly 25 percent shorter range of methanol vehicles. The advantages of methanol and its derivatives (DME) can outweigh this limitation and the evaluation is ultimately in the eye of the beholder / consumer. In the medium term, there are no alternatives to achieve a CO2-neutral transport turnaround, especially for long distances and heavy weights (trucks, shipping). E-mobility is no longer necessary because of the size of the batteries required for these heavy vehicles.

Apart from a slight loss in efficiency, hybrid cars offer the greatest flexibility for the driver. The increased use of flexible fuel vehicles (FFV) is therefore an elegant approach to support the transition from fossil to renewable and to accelerate the turnaround in traffic.

A comprehensive presentation of methanol in the transport sector can be found in the document “On the road with methanol”By Gregory P. Nowell (1994).

Conclusion on the methanol economy: bridge to a post-fossil bioeconomy

Our economic system is a global forest. This consists of different trees, of which the methanol tree is one. Currently, crude oil and its fossil relatives supply this forest with hydrocarbons. This fact would not be dramatic if fossil hydrocarbons weren't finite. The destruction of ecosystems during the extraction of crude oil & Co. (oil sands → forests, drilling stations → seas, fracking → soils) are expensive side effects that future generations will have little understanding for.

Any comparison is limping, but if we admit and become aware of our dependence on fossil fuels, methanol for our economic system can be what methadone is for opiate addicts. Accordingly, methanol helps to remove finite energy sources from the underground. The reforestation into a sustainable economic forest is therefore no slash-and-burn or Cold Turkey for our society, but a slow but steady withdrawal of crude oil & Co. The methanol plant enters the rope at exactly the right moment in the balancing act of the energy and raw material turnaround to show the way out of dependence on cheap black sugar.

However, we shouldn't have wrong expectations. Even a converted commercial forest remains a man-made forest. We shouldn't expect a white knight to lead us into a blossoming landscape by his sterile hand. The methanol industry also needs land, large industrial plants and infrastructure. The methanol tree is a flexible transition plant that can provide a liana for swinging elegantly into a post-fossil world, a pragmatic approach for growing out of coal, oil and natural gas.

At the end of the article, the flashing of a somewhat larger vision for the future of our species. We are a heterotrophic life form that sits on the shoulders of autotrophic giants (plants). We are involved in the carbon cycle in which producers, consumers and destructors push the baton in a fixed order. The artificial synthesis of hydrocarbons and their derivatives from inorganic CO2, water and electricity can make our species, with all the possibilities that arise from it, even independent of photosynthesis and its products. Sounds like hubris? I agree. Nevertheless, the emancipation of homo is dawning on the horizon sapiens from its autotrophic roots. And any energy source of the future can be used as a power source. The History of bioenergy enters a new chapter.

What is methanol economy?

Methanol - the key to the bioeconomy

Visionary foresters of the methanol forest

Strengths of a renewable methanol economy

Methanol can close the CO2 cycle

Methanol is liquid at room temperature

Methanol is very flexible

Methanol strengthens independence

Use of existing infrastructure

Added value takes place regionally

Methanol improves the carbon footprint

Accelerating plant growth

Tree of the methanol industry: roots and trunk

Process for the production of methanol (upstream)

Branches and branches of the methanol tree (downstream)

Leaves and flowers of the methanol industry

Fruits on the methanol tree

Methanol industry to support the energy transition

Conclusion on the methanol economy: bridge to a post-fossil bioeconomy

Book Recommendation

Ron Kirchner

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