World’s First Pilot Plant for Green Methanol Inaugurated in Germany

Sustainable Fuels World’s First Pilot Plant for Green Methanol Inaugurated in Germany

2023-11-22 Source: Press release Fraunhofer IWES 2 min Reading Time

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A pilot plant for cost-efficient production of green methanol was recently inaugurated at the chemical park in Leuna, Germany by the Minister for Transport Dr. Volker Wissing. The plant is part of the ‘Leuna100’ project and aims to offer climate-friendly fuels to container shipping and aviation industries.

All guests of honor were symbolically presented with a bottle of green methanol, thus honoring the 100-year tradition at the Leuna chemical site.(Source: ©PPBraun) — All guests of honor were symbolically presented with a bottle of green methanol, thus honoring the 100-year tradition at the Leuna chemical site.
(Source: ©PPBraun)

Bremerhaven/Germany – Green methanol production is based on a synthesis gas of carbon monoxide and green hydrogen – hydrogen produced with renewable energy. The process for green methanol production in the Leuna100 project is composed of three steps: synthesis gas production, methanol production, and purification of the crude methanol produced. The innovative technology developed by C1 enables efficient low temperature- and low pressure-based methanol production. The process is made possible by the use of a homogeneous, manganese-based catalysis technology that C1 has developed in cooperation with Leibniz-Institut für Katalyse (Leibniz Institute for Catalysis). The electricity-based and load-flexible utilization of synthesis gas production and the homogeneous catalysis for the methanol production together form the key innovation.

The pilot plant sees two different technologies coupled for the CO2-based production of synthesis gas: Fraunhofer Umsicht is providing new, low-temperature co-electrolysis, while DBI – Gastechnologisches Institut Freiberg utilizes a reverse water gas shift (RWGS) unit. C1 is delivering the groundbreaking catalyst as well as a reactor developed in-house for the homogeneous catalysis of methanol. Fraunhofer IWES is providing the location and infrastructure at the Hydrogen Lab Leuna and evaluating the load flexibility. TU Berlin is developing an efficient, load-flexible operating concept on the basis of a dynamic overall process model.

The Leuna100 project was launched in the Leuna Chemical Park in August 2023 and is set to run for three years. It is being funded with a total of 10.4 million euros by the German Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) as part of the Renewable Fuels Funding Program. The funding guideline for the development of renewable fuels is being coordinated by NOW and implemented by the project management agencies VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik and Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe.

The working group headed by Prof. Dr. Matthias Beller at Leibniz-Institut für Katalyse (Likat), Rostock, is supporting the Leuna100 project as a research partner.

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