Methanol is a universal chemical compound that is still produced today from natural gas or coal. It is primarily used as a feedstock for chemicals (80%) and in smaller volumes as an energy carrier (20%). Due to the content of “fossil” carbon in the feedstock, conventional methanol consumption causes large amounts of CO2 emissions.
In the future, non-fossil Methanol, known as e-Methanol, will see vast new application fields. It becomes sustainable or ”green” when it is produced from renewable hydrogen of either biological (bio-methanol) or electrochemical origin (e-Methanol) and CO2. Due to the significantly lower carbon footprint in comparison to conventional fossil fuels, green products based on e-Methanol become extremely interesting options for decarbonization of the transport, mobility or heating sectors with no need for new, expensive infrastructures.
Producing largely carbon-neutral e-Fuels in lower developed but renewable energy-rich regions can facilitate their economic growth. At the same time, industrialized countries will also benefit from a more diversified green energy supply and predictable, stable energy costs. In the opinion of Peter Kluesener, strategic expert of New Energy Business at Siemens Energy, “It’s a classical win-win situation: Germany provides innovative technology for Power-to-X-plants worldwide and can thereby benefit from importing green energy from regions with beneficial renewable power resources.”
Many countries from around the world would profit by becoming players in an e-Methanol economy– this includes areas such as deserts with no resources to produce food or green energy from biomass, windy regions with no or low industrial development, or even oil-exporting countries that are forcing the decarbonization of their industries and capturing new business opportunities.
With increased adaption of e-Methanol production, even the regions previously left behind during earlier industrialization stand to benefit by creating a sustainable, autonomous, and successful future.
