What is the methanol economy?

Thirty years ago, George A. Olah proposed the concept of the methanol economy, where methanol replaces fossil fuels as a means of energy storage, ground transportation fuel, and raw material for the manufacture of other carbon-based products. Over the years, with rising global warming concerns, the concept has evolved.

Why is methanol a good energy carrier?

The identified strengths of methanol as an energy carrier include its high volumetric energy density, the mature technology for producing it from hydrogen and carbon dioxide, and its broad applicability.

Can methanol be used as a cyclic energy source?

Upcycling carbon dioxide (CO 2) and intermittently generated renewable hydrogen to stored products such as methanol (MeOH) allows the cyclic use of carbon and addresses the challenges of storage energy density, size and transportability as well as responsiveness to energy production and demand better than most storage alternatives.

How efficient is hydrogen storage compared to methanol storage?

The round-trip efficiency for hydrogen storage at 38% is higher than for methanol storage with carbon cycling at 35%. Figure 2. Average electricity costs for systems based on wind and solar

Does methanol synthesis require large-scale hydrogen storage?

In production facilities using fossil fuels, methanol synthesis is run with high-capacity factors. Maintaining these high load levels with fluctuating hydrogen supply from variable electricity would require large-scale hydrogen storage to buffer the hydrogen, which may not be available as discussed above.

How is methanol stored?

Methanol is stored as a liquid at ambient temperature and pressure, oxygen is stored as a liquid at - 183 ∘ C, and carbon dioxide is stored as a liquid at 7 bar and - 50 ∘ C; only hydrogen is stored as a gas (at 250 bar) while it is buffered before going into the methanol synthesis. Figure inspired by Baak et al. 8