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Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - CIRCLENERGY (Production of renewable methanol from captured emissions and renewable energy sources, for its utilisation for clean fuel production and green consumer goods)

Teaser

Summary

Methanol, needed in industry as a burning fuel and a chemical building block (plastics, etc.), has been traditionally produced from coal or natural gas, dependent on natural resources availability (limited supply), contaminating land (mining, drilling) and emitting CO2 to the atmosphere (global warming effect). Nowadays, crop-based biofuels are also used, consuming huge water and land resources for their production, and competing with food (ethic problems). Circlenergy project aims to develop the Emissionsâ€“to-Liquids (ETL) technology for producing methanol (VulcanolÂ®) from industrial CO2 emissions and renewable energy sources (RES), decarbonizing industries and increasing efficiency of RES by valorizing off-peak renewable energy. Its objectives are to scale up and enable ETL plants to economically operate using intermittent power sources (RES).

Work performed

In 2011, CRI commissioned the George Olah (GO) Plant, the worldâ€™s first industrial scale CO2 to methanol production facility. In 2013, VulcanolÂ® was first exported for gasoline blending and biodiesel production. In 2014, GO Plant capacity was scaled up to 4,000 t/yr. In 2018, the GO plant test results showed that, after further technological innovation, it would be possible to operate on variable electrical load; a market analysis and commercial assessment showed a rapidly growing market with a 7% CAGR, limited competition, and no IP conflicts and the financial plan confirmed the viability of the project with affordable risks, potential partners and investors and an attractive annual profit and payback period.

Final results

Our ETL technology produces VulcanolÂ® (synthetic methanol) and fights global warming, by using 1.4 t CO2/t of VulcanolÂ® produced in common industries versus conventional production of methanol, which emits up to 4 t CO2/t of methanol produced. Besides, our technology requires approximately 1500 times less land and between 400-15,000 less water than crop based biofuel, eradicating ethical concerns about competition between biofuels and human food production. VulcanolÂ® is an efficient energy carrier that can be used to easily store and transport off-peak renewable energy, stabilizing the power grid and supporting expansion of RES. ETL also supports employment creation (20 skilled jobs per ETL plant), improves air quality in industrial areas, thus, the health of their population and employees, and helps to fulfil stricter EU regulations regarding the use of fuels and RES.