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Conceptual Process Design and Technoeconomic Analysis of an e‑Methanol Plant with Direct Air-Captured CO2 and Electrolytic H2

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posted on 2024-01-30, 04:07 authored by Fabio Cameli, Evangelos Delikonstantis, Afroditi Kourou, Victor Rosa, Kevin M. Van Geem, Georgios D. Stefanidis
Carbon-negative electrified production of methanol (e-MeOH) can play a central role in sustainable chemical manufacturing in the coming years. In this context, CO2-based methanol synthesis routes solely based on renewable electricity have been proposed. However, the production route via direct air-captured (DAC) CO2 and green H2 from water electrolysis (WE) is not industrially available, and in-depth feasibility studies are needed to determine its viability. By designing a 50 kt y–1 e-MeOH production plant based on DAC-CO2 and electrolytic H2, we assess the plant’s performance and economic feasibility against the state-of-the-art industrial manufacturing based on natural gas steam reforming. Absorption-based DAC accounts for the highest capital expenditure (CAPEX) of the plant, whereas the proton-exchange membrane WE drives electricity consumption. The adiabatic reactor for the catalytic CO2–H2 reaction is the least cost-intensive section. Thus, the levelized cost of product of e-MeOH in 2050 is expected to be still 3 times that of the current fossil-based MeOH. However, the overall electrified process is carbon negative by consuming 0.64 kgCO2‑eq kgMeOH–1, whereas the conventional process releases a significant amount of greenhouse gases. Technological improvement of the DAC unit could increase the competitiveness of the e-process, together with lower electricity prices. Furthermore, sourcing CO2 from concentrated streams would cut production costs up to equaling a conventional process penalized with a 183 $ tCO2–1 carbon tax.

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