Sustainable methanol production and use

Whether plastics, chemicals or shipping – more and more branches of industry are relying on products and raw materials that have a reduced CO₂ footprint. Sustainably produced methanol is playing an increasingly important role: In the plastics industry, it serves as the basis for olefin syntheses (ethylene and propylene), in the shipping industry it is used as an alternative fuel, and the chemical industry uses methanol as a basic chemical for numerous downstream products. Whether CO₂ based methanol synthesis or processes based on it are economically feasible at a site depends on a number of factors. 

This is where the scientists at Fraunhofer UMSICHT come into play: We have long been involved in synthesis gas chemistry – specifically the production of methanol and dimethyl ether from syngas. Our institute has several testing plants of different sizes and with different research focuses, which we primarily use as part of the joint project Carbon2Chem ^®. Specifically, our value proposition includes

• Methanol synthesis based on gases containing CO₂ or gas mixtures (CO/CO /N ) ₂₂
  • Testing plants on a laboratory and pilot plant scale (10ml/h-2 l/h)
  • Transportable system with parallel reactor system for tests at the customer's premises (1 kg/h)
  • Complete simulation models for reactor and process modeling, combination of simulation and technology development
  • Process digitization, sample production with real gases, fibre-optic temperature measurement at 36 measuring points for detailed T-profil
  • Multi-stage distillation for the purification of methanol with regard to specific product specifications (e.g. fuel grade and IMPCA International Methanol Producers and Consumers Association)
• Methanol downstream chemistry such as alcohol condensation to higher alcohols or the dehydration of alcohols to produce olefins and aromatics
  • Testing plants on a laboratory and pilot plant scale (up to 500 ml/h) (30 bar; 500°C)
  • Process and catalyst development for "Methanol to Olefins", "Methanol to Aromatics", "Methanol to Gasoline"
  • Direct use of olefins in oligomerization for the production of high-quality fuels
  • Own catalyst and processes for alcohol condensation
• Analysis for the determination of methanol and water content as well as by-products from synthesis
• Utilization concepts along the entire process chain
• Utilization of side streams (water containing methanol)
• Cross-industrial concepts of methanol synthesis and downstream chemistry
• Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Technical-Economic Analysis (TEA)

• Direct order: You can commission us directly to develop and implement a transformation concept. Together, we will clarify the framework conditions and how we can support you with our expertise and infrastructure. The size of your company is irrelevant: Our teams support small companies just as professionally with research and development services as clients from SMEs or DAX companies.
• Collaborative project: In this variant, several partners work on a solution – usually within the framework of public funding. We can build on a large network from industries, research, society and the Fraunhofer Institutes environment. We are experienced in the selection of funding programs as well as in project applications, bring innovative impulses into the process and then shape the transfer to the market together with you and other partners.
  

Torben Daun and Johannes Voß on dynamic methanol synthesis

to the interview of 12.12.2022
 

Kai Girod on catalyst tests for methanol production using real gases

to the interview of 22.09.2022
 

Steel mill gases as raw material for green methanol

to the press release of 15.02.2022
 

Stefan Schlüter and Tim Schulzke on sustainable methanol production

to the interview of 20.01.2022