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Dutch Consortium to Convert Methanol Plant to BioMethanol
24 November 2006
A Dutch consortium is converting a conventional methanol plant in Delfzijl, the Netherlands, to produce biomethanol. The output—ultimately an estimated 1 billion liters (264 million gallons US) per year—will be directed to addressing the European Union’s requirement for a 5.75% biofuel component by 2010. Biomethanol can be blended directly into gasoline and serve as a substitute for MTB.
BioMethanol Chemie Holding (BV), a consortium of Econcern, NOM, OakInvest, Ir. S. Doorn and Ir. P. Hamm, purchased the plant from Akzo Nobel, DSM and Dynea.
The plant will be started up as soon as possible, initially producing fossil methanol as before. Modifications will be carried out over the next nine months, turning the plant into the world’s first bio-methanol plant. In the first phase, it will produce 100 kT [100 million liters] bio-methanol, a capacity that will be increased substantially in the following phases.
—Paul Hamm, temporary CEO of BioMethanol Chemie Holding
The plant will use a new process to make bio-methanol from glycerine, a byproduct of biodiesel production. Prices of glycerol have dropped due to the increasing supply resulting from rising biodiesel production.
Methanol (CH3OH) is the simplest alcohol, containing one carbon atom, and can be manufactured from a variety of carbon-based feedstocks such as natural gas, coal, and biomass. Worldwide, more than 90 methanol plants have the capacity to produce more than 11 billion gallons of methanol annually, according to the American Methanol Institute.
Most methanol production is a two-stage process that first converts a feedstock (often natural gas) into a syngas stream consisting of carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen (H2).
The second step is the catalytic synthesis of methanol from the synthesis gas. Each of these steps can use a variety of approaches and technologies.
2 CH4 + 3 H2O → CO + CO2 + 7 H2 (Synthesis Gas)
CO + CO2 + 7 H2 → 2 CH3OH + 2 H2 + H2O
If an external source of CO2 is available, the excess hydrogen can be consumed and converted to additional methanol.
The most favorable gasification processes are those in which the surplus hydrogen is oxidized to water, during which steam reforming is accomplished through the following partial oxidation reaction:
CH4 + ½O2 → CO + 2 H2 → CH3OH
CH4 + O2 → CO2 + 2 H2
The carbon dioxide and hydrogen produced in the last process would then react with an additional hydrogen from the top set of reactions to produce additional methanol. Methanol synthesis is highly exothermic, taking place over a catalyst bed at moderate temperatures.
Shortly after the announcement of the project early in November, Teijin Ltd., a global chemical company based in Japan, acquired a 25% stake in BioMethanol Chemie Holding (BV). Since its acquisition in 2000 of Twaron, a fiber originally developed by Akzo Nobel, Teijin has been active in the Dutch market and is now the largest Japanese investor in the chemical industry in the Netherlands.
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November 24, 2006 in Europe, Methanol | Permalink | Comments (26) | TrackBack (0)
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Posted by: | October 27, 2007 at 08:11 PM
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Here is an interesting suggestion regarding methanol.
How to produce cheap hydrogen and synthetic gasoline from water, heat and carbon dioxide.
Step One- Make Hydrogen by splitting the water molecules in 500C steam. The steam can be supplied directly from an “Ausra” type solar (see Ausra.com), or by using heat exchangers and geothermal or nuclear. A new process with relatively low temperature requirements can be found at:
http://faculty.uoit.ca/naterer/cha06.pdf
Step Two- Use that hydrogen to make Methanol, with 400C heat using a heat exchanger and a solar collector or other source of heat.
The chemical process is a proven one. A mixture of hydrogen and carbon oxides is compressed and is passed over a catalyst under high pressure and at high temperature. Methanol is formed.
400 °C
CO + 2H2 ===> CH3OH Methanol
CO2 + 3H2 ===> CH3OH + H2O Methanol plus water
(If existing carbon oxides are used for feed stock then later emitted during combustion, the product should be considered carbon neutral, as no additional carbon oxides are being produced.)
Step Three- Convert Methanol to synthetic gasoline, using something called the “Mobil” process. This also a proven chemical process.
http://chemelab.ucsd.edu/methanol/memos/final.html
http://www.nzic.org.nz/ChemProcesses/energy/7D.pdf
Conclusion: With only water and carbon oxides as a feedstock, and heat from solar concentrators, carbon neutral gasoline can be created to fuel vehicles.
Benefits:
-No fossil fuel is used in the production of this fuel.
-This fuel replaces fossil a fuel thus reducing carbon emissions.
-The synthetic gasoline produces no new greenhouse gases. Carbon oxides emitted are equal to those used as raw materials. So it is carbon neutral.
-No new infrastructure for handling special fuels is required.
-The fuel works efficiently and harmlessly with most light vehicles, without modifications.
-The fuel has a higher energy density than methanol, ethanol or hydrogen.
-Range and performance is similar to regular, unleaded gasoline.
-There is no sulfur or nitrogen content, that would contribute to acid rain.
What are we waiting for?