147
which can feed a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles which leave virtually no net
carbon emissions (Carbonrecycling 2019).
The methanol synthesis that combines renewable energy, e.g., geothermal energy,
with carbon dioxide recovered from industrial emissions represents a relevant
means of storing energy in the form of a versatile molecule. This is particularly
important for countries having limited energy demand but large availability of
renewable energy (Kauw et al. 2015).
Recently, the MEFCO2 (methanol fuel from CO 2 ) project (2015–2018, financed
by Europe) has been funded in SPIRE (Sustainable Process Industry through
Resource and Energy Efficiency) framework of the Horizon 2020 EU Research and
Innovation program (Stangeland et al. 2018; MEFCO2 2019; Bellotti et al. 2017).
This project regroups eight partners from seven European countries. The main
objective is to develop and design an innovative technology for methanol production from carbon dioxide emitted from industrial activities and hydrogen produced
from surplus renewable energy. The concept of methanol synthesis from carbon
dioxide and renewable energy of this project is available on the website of the project (MEFCO2 2019). At the latest news from MEFCO2, the pilot plant is now under
construction (MEFCO2 2019).
On the fringe of the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide into methanol, Mitsubishi
Heavy Ind., Ltd. recently successfully archived the construction of Carbon Dioxide
Recovery Plant for Qatar Fuel Additives Company with capacity of 500 tons per day
(on July 2014) (MHIAP 2019). This recovered carbon dioxide is injected into the
syngas generated by the reforming of natural gas for methanol production.
5.6 Conclusions
Methanol is an important platform molecule which can be used as a starting product
for the production of chemicals and fuels. Methanol can be obtained by selective
hydrogenation of carbon dioxide using specific copper-based heterogeneous catalysts. This pathway has been deployed at large pilot and industrial scale.
Homogeneous catalysis approach has also been developed during the last decades
with promising results. However, this pathway needs effort to be deployed at large
scale.
References
Álvarez A, Bansode A, Urakawa A, Bavykina AV, Wezendonk TA, Makkee M, Gascon J, Kapteijn
F (2017) Challenges in the greener production of formates/formic acid, methanol, and DME
by heterogeneously catalyzed CO2 hydrogenation processes. Chem Rev 117(14):9804–9838
Angelo L, Kobl K, Martinez Tejada LM, Zimmermann Y, Parkhomenko K, Roger AC (2015) Study
of CuZnMO x oxides (M = Al, Zr, Ce, CeZr) for the catalytic hydrogenation of CO 2 into methanol. Compte Rendue Chimie 18(3):250–260. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crci.2015.01.001
5 Selective Hydrogenation of Carbon Dioxide into Methanol
which can feed a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles which leave virtually no net
carbon emissions (Carbonrecycling 2019).
The methanol synthesis that combines renewable energy, e.g., geothermal energy,
with carbon dioxide recovered from industrial emissions represents a relevant
means of storing energy in the form of a versatile molecule. This is particularly
important for countries having limited energy demand but large availability of
renewable energy (Kauw et al. 2015).
Recently, the MEFCO2 (methanol fuel from CO 2 ) project (2015–2018, financed
by Europe) has been funded in SPIRE (Sustainable Process Industry through
Resource and Energy Efficiency) framework of the Horizon 2020 EU Research and
Innovation program (Stangeland et al. 2018; MEFCO2 2019; Bellotti et al. 2017).
This project regroups eight partners from seven European countries. The main
objective is to develop and design an innovative technology for methanol production from carbon dioxide emitted from industrial activities and hydrogen produced
from surplus renewable energy. The concept of methanol synthesis from carbon
dioxide and renewable energy of this project is available on the website of the project (MEFCO2 2019). At the latest news from MEFCO2, the pilot plant is now under
construction (MEFCO2 2019).
On the fringe of the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide into methanol, Mitsubishi
Heavy Ind., Ltd. recently successfully archived the construction of Carbon Dioxide
Recovery Plant for Qatar Fuel Additives Company with capacity of 500 tons per day
(on July 2014) (MHIAP 2019). This recovered carbon dioxide is injected into the
syngas generated by the reforming of natural gas for methanol production.
5.6 Conclusions
Methanol is an important platform molecule which can be used as a starting product
for the production of chemicals and fuels. Methanol can be obtained by selective
hydrogenation of carbon dioxide using specific copper-based heterogeneous catalysts. This pathway has been deployed at large pilot and industrial scale.
Homogeneous catalysis approach has also been developed during the last decades
with promising results. However, this pathway needs effort to be deployed at large
scale.
References
Álvarez A, Bansode A, Urakawa A, Bavykina AV, Wezendonk TA, Makkee M, Gascon J, Kapteijn
F (2017) Challenges in the greener production of formates/formic acid, methanol, and DME
by heterogeneously catalyzed CO2 hydrogenation processes. Chem Rev 117(14):9804–9838
Angelo L, Kobl K, Martinez Tejada LM, Zimmermann Y, Parkhomenko K, Roger AC (2015) Study
of CuZnMO x oxides (M = Al, Zr, Ce, CeZr) for the catalytic hydrogenation of CO 2 into methanol. Compte Rendue Chimie 18(3):250–260. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crci.2015.01.001
5 Selective Hydrogenation of Carbon Dioxide into Methanol