CHE.07 – Green Methanol: A New Hope

• Matthew Binder
• Cathal Burke
• Angelo Giles
• Shaheer Sohail

As climate change becomes a more prevalent issue for humanity, there has been an increased demand for environmentally friendly and economically sustainable means of production for fuel and energy. In order to combat further production of greenhouse gas emissions for fuel manufacturing, this project focuses on the design and construction of a green methanol production plant. “Green” methanol is defined as methanol produced without emitting a significant amount of toxic chemicals into the environment. A plant of our chosen process, indirect hydrogenation of hydrogen gas and carbon dioxide, was simulated using Aspen Plus software. Our plant aims to produce 500,000 MT/year (about 4000 barrels/yr) of methanol through renewable sources of carbon dioxide and hydrogen. This is in contrast to conventional processes that rely on fossil fuels. China was chosen as the location to build the plant, as it is responsible for nearly a quarter of the world’s yearly carbon dioxide emissions. The main struggle in producing green chemicals is a lack of economic viability. In terms of green methanol production, the electrolysis process consumes much of the costs. Electrolysis in China is expected to become significantly cheaper in the coming years, allowing this process to potentially become viable. We aim to support international efforts to lower carbon emissions and advance a cleaner, more sustainable energy future as leaders in sustainable fuel generation. Our project will hopefully result in the creation of a cleaner methanol manufacturing process.