Syngas News

Syngas News

NETHERLANDS

Gidara Energy plans waste to methanol plant at Rotterdam

Gidara Energy has agreed with the Port of Rotterdam to develop a new waste to methanol facility in the Netherlands: Advanced Methanol Rotterdam (AMR). Gidara will duplicate its Advanced Methanol Amsterdam project as a template for AMR, using Gidara’s patented high temperature Winkler (HTW® ) technology, which converts nonrecyclable waste to renewable fuels. This technology has been used commercially in four other waste to syngas production facilities. AMR will convert around 180,000 t/a of non-recyclable waste into 90,000 t/a of methanol, while capturing all waste streams for use; CO2 will be captured and led to local greenhouses; bottom product residue will be used for cement production; and other streams like ammonia and salts will be sold and put to use as feed stock for other industries and road salt respectively, creating a fully circular concept. The facility is scheduled to start detail engineering and construction in the first half of 2023, when a permit is received, and start production of renewable methanol in 2025.

The Port of Rotterdam has allocated an 8.5 ha site at the Torontostraat within the Botlek area of the port, connected to feedstock providers, storage terminals and other companies. The Port of Rotterdam’s strategy is to facilitate its existing industries in reducing their carbon footprint and attracting new businesses that fit its ambition to be a CO2 neutral port and industrial complex by 2050.

Allard Castelein, CEO at Port of Rotterdam, said: “We welcome GIDARA Energy’s decision to set up this state-of-the-art facility to produce sustainable methanol in our Port. The Advanced Methanol Rotterdam plant matches very well with our long-term vision for the transition of the industry in the Port. This development also shows the importance of clear and reliable governmental policies regarding the energy transition. In this case, regulations regarding the use of sustainable transport fuels make companies confident they can invest in plants like this.

Rendering of the proposed new waste to methanol plant.

PHOTO: GIDARA ENERGY

INDIA

Coal to methanol demonstrator plant

Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd has inaugurated a pilot coal to methanol unit in Hyderabad. The pilot unit has a capacity of 250 kg/d (82.5 t/a), and aims to demonstrate an Indian-developed fluidised bed gasification technology specially adapted to cope with the high ash content of domestic coal. India is trialling methanol as an alternative fuel for vehicles.

SINGAPORE

Maersk collaborating on green methanol plant

Six companies in the shipping and energy industry have jointly signed a memorandum of understanding to establish what they describe as “Asia’s first green methanol plant,” which will convert captured biogenic carbon dioxide from decomposition of organic matter and green hydrogen and convert them into methanol. The six companies are: AP Møller-Maersk, which will use the methanol to power container vessels; Air Liquide, which will develop and provide the carbon capture and methanol production technologies; PTT Exploration and Production Public Company, which will integrate the green hydrogen and methanol plant; Oiltanking Asia Pacific, which will provide the methanol storage and bunker supply chain solution; Kenoil Marine Services, which will transport the methanol and carry out bunkering to Maersk ships; and YTL PowerSeraya, which will study the renewable power solution.

At present there is a feasibility study on the technical and economic aspects of producing the fuel in Singapore before the pilot plant is constructed, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2022. The pilot facility would be built by 2025, and have a capacity of 50,000 t/a.

Another methanol fuelled tanker for NYK Group

NYK Group in Singapore has taken delivery of the methanol-fuelled tanker Grouse Sun, built by Hyundai in South Korea subsidiary. The ship has a dual-fuel engine that can use not only heavy fuel oil but also methanol. It also has a new technology that suppresses NOx production by adding water to methanol to lower its temperature during combustion. As a result, the vessel can comply with the IMO’s stringent Tier III NOx emission standard and contribute to environment-friendly transportation without the need for an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system and a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) device. The vessel will be engaged in a long-term charter contract with Methanex subsidiary Waterfront Shipping Ltd.

FINLAND

Methanol recovery from pulp waste

Paper manufacturer Metsä Fibre has signed a partnership agreement with Veolia for the production of biomethanol from pulp and paper wate at the Äänekoski mill. As part of this agreement, Veolia will build, own and operate a methanol refining plant at Äänekoski, closely integrated into the bioproduct mill processes. The Kraft pulping process transforms wood chips into pulp, from which a broad range of paper products are made. Black liquor is the waste by-product from the and contains most of the original inorganic elements and the degraded, dissolved wood substance, including methanol, as well as hundreds of other components. Veolia has been a major supplier to the pulp and paper industry since the 1960s for black liquor evaporation systems, which feature methanol rectification and handling systems, among other characteristics. Raw methanol recovered from the pulp process needs to be purified, removing nitrogen and sulphur components, and then further refined for use as commercial biomethanol. The refinery will have an annual production capacity of 12,000 t/a and is due to come on stream by 2024.

UNITED STATES

‘Green’ methanol to gasoline project

Modular Plant Solutions (MPS) has been contracted by Arbor Renewable Gas for the construction of a modularised green gasoline plant. The Spindletop Plant, located in Beaumont, Texas, will convert woody biomass in the form of pre-commercial thinnings and forest residue into gasoline via a methanol production step using MPS’ Methanol-To-Go® modular small-scale methanol technology. MPS will also project manage the engineering and technology partners for the entire plant, from procurement and construction to operation. MPS’ modularisation process and patent-pending ISO frame-based modular design for the plant will streamline transportation of plant components, making it easier to assemble and minimising construction issues. The plant will then use Topsoe’s TIGAS methanol to gasoline technology to generate green gasoline.

HIF selects site for methanol plant

Chilean developed HIF says that it has selected a site outside Bay City, Texas, for its first US green methanol facility. HIF is developing a pilot plant in Chile together with Porsche AG, and has raised $260 million in funding. However, the company says it is aiming to have commercial scale plants up and running by the end of 2025 in Chile and Texas and later Australia.

BELGIUM

Declaration to boost electrolyser production

At the European Electrolyser Summit in Brussels, co-organised by the Hydrogen Council and the European Commission, a joint declaration was signed by the Commission, Hydrogen Europe and 20 European companies including Topsoe on increasing electrolyser manufacturing capacity in the EU. The declaration backs the EU’s decision to double its previous target of 5 million t/a of domestic production of renewable hydrogen to 10 million t/a by 2025 – 10 times its current value – as well as an additional 10 million t/a of hydrogen imports.

Roeland Baan, CEO of Topsoe, said: “Power-to-X and energy independence will not happen in the EU unless we ramp up the manufacturing of electrolysers in the EU as well. Therefore, I am extremely happy to see commitment from both the EU and industry to do exactly that… If the EU wants to be independent of Russian gas we need to produce 10 million tons of renewable hydrogen in the EU every year. Manufacturing of electrolysers must therefore be scaled up significantly. This represents both an unprecedented challenge and a significant opportunity for Topsoe.”

The joint declaration features three pillars:

1. Ensuring a supportive regulatory framework through adequate permitting rules and committing to stand up for the ambitious targets included in the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive and the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation Proposal.

2. Facilitating adequate access to finance by revamping the Innovation Fund to be inclusive of innovative zero and lowcarbon equipment manufacturing such as electrolysers. In addition, accessing state aid to de-risk investments, and put in place Carbon Contracts for Difference to further incentivise large-scale deployment of clean hydrogen technologies.

3. Integrating supply chains by way of expanding research and development and ensuring the availability of required components and materials in a timely and affordable manner.

Under the joint declaration, Europe’s leading electrolyser manufacturers agreed to increase their manufacturing capacity to reach 17.5 GW by 2025 and to further increase capacity by 2030 in line with projected demand for renewable hydrogen.

UNITED KINGDOM

Velocys provides update on GTL projects

Velocys plc has published a statement detailing updates on its sustainable fuels projects. In the UK, together with partner British Airways, they are progressing the Altalto Immingham municipal solid waste to jet fuel project where Velocys is providing project development services, engineering and FTS technology. Over the last few months, Velocys has completed site engineering, a geotechnical survey and the integration of carbon sequestration of biogenic CO2 in preparation for the connection of the Altalto plant, when built, into the new East Coast Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) cluster, which is due to be completed in 2027, at the same time that the Altato plant is commissioned.

In Louisiana, engineering contractor Worley has completed interim engineering and Koch Project Solutions continues to provide project development support to the Bayou Fuels sustainable aviation fuel biorefinery project, ahead of finalisation of contract execution strategy and FEED award subject to financing. A full 15-year SAF and environmental credit offtake agreement with Southwest Airlines and a 10 year SAF and environmental credit offtake MOU with IAG were entered into in November 2021.

The company has also secured a 15 year lease for a modern and sustainable facility in Columbus, Ohio where it will be consolidating its catalysis services, microchannel reactor core assembly and technology licensing under one roof.

Henrik Wareborn, CEO of Velocys, said. “The Velocys group is well positioned at the nexus of energy security and the net zero transition. Through the deployment of our patented demonstrated FT and catalyst technology, we provide decarbonization solutions for hard-to-abate sectors such as commercial aviation, to supply negative carbon intensity fuels to airlines and others committed to net zero targets, while also reducing import dependency on fossil fuels.

INDONESIA

Indonesia to build second coal gasification plant

Indonesia’s biggest coal miner PT Bumi Resources and Air Products and Chemicals Inc will develop a $2 billion joint venture methanol facility in Indonesia. Bumi’s Kaltim Prima Coal subsidiary will develop the facility at the Batuta industrial park in Bengalon, East Kalimantan, with an annual capacity of 1.8 million tonnes of methanol, according to press reports, and supply coal feedstock for the plant, which will be built, owned and operated by Air Products. Bumi will take all of the methanol produced. The site is currently being cleared in preparation for construction, with completion tagged for late 2025/early 2026.

CANADA

Nauticol secures investment funding

Canadian asset management company Purpose ESG will invest in Nauticol Energy’s zero carbon ‘blue’ methanol project in Alberta, using carbon capture and storage. Nauticol says that the 1.7 million t/a plant is making “significant progress” in securing regulatory permits and agreements for commercialisation, and has support from indigenous communities and investors. Construction is due to begin for the first plant this year, with a target completion date of 2026. Nauticol has also secured transportation deals with TC Energy and CN Rail, as well as port access via Prince Rupert, British Columbia. It has also secured offtake agreements for 80% of its production.

“Nauticol’s first project is competitively positioned adjacent to abundant natural gas feedstock and vast underground deposits of natural gas in Grand Prairie, Alberta,” said Young Bann, CEO of Purpose ESG. “Methanol can be used as an alternative to conventional transportation fuels and is particularly popular in the marine transport industry. It has not previously been proactively adopted due to heavy pollution caused by conventional coal-based production.”

EGYPT

MoU on green methanol plant

A joint venture between UAE renewable energy company Masdar, and Egypt’s Hassan Allam Holding Group, says that it will set up green hydrogen production plants in Egypt in Sokhna in the Suez Canal Economic Zone and on the Mediterranean coast. The two companies have signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with The General Authority for Suez Canal Economic Zone, Egypt’s New and Renewable Energy Authority, the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company, and The Sovereign Fund of Egypt (TSFE) for the projects, Masdar said in a press statement.

The partnership will set up a green methanol plant by 2026 as part of the first phase with a capacity of 100,000 t/a for the bunkering market in the Suez Canal, Masdar said. The partnership has also set a target of building 4 GW of electrolyser capacity by 2030 with an annual output of up to 480,000 t/a of green hydrogen and 2.3 million t/a of green ammonia for export and domestic consumption.

ICELAND

PCC SE and Landsvirkjun to convert CO2 to methanol

Landsvirkjun, The National Power Company of Iceland, and German investment company PCC SE have agreed to explore the possibility of capturing and utilising carbon emissions from PCC’s silicon metal plant in northeast Iceland. Carbon emissions would be used to produce green methanol, using hydrogen from water electrolysis. PCC SE aims for its silicon metal plant at Húsavík to become carbon-neutral by replacing fossil carbon reductants with renewable alternatives. The plant at Bakki emits about 150,000 tonnes of CO2 per year as part of the reduction of quartzite (SiO2 ) to produce silicon metal.

HUNGARY

MOL to build green hydrogen facility

Hungary’s MOL Group has announced a partnership with Plug Power Inc. to build a green hydrogen plant in Százhalombatta using a 10 MW electrolysis plant form Plug Power, at a projected cost of $23 million. The plant will produce 1,600 t/a of carbon neutral annually, and is due to be operational in 2023. MOL will use the hydrogen in its Danube refinery.

“We are convinced that hydrogen is not only one of the most important energy carriers of the already ongoing energy transition, but it will be an essential factor in the new, carbon-neutral energy system as well,” said Gabriel Szabó, Executive Vice President of Downstream at MOL Group. “This new technology allows the introduction of green hydrogen production in Hungary, Százhalombatta, which makes MOL Group one of the most important players in the sustainable energy economy in the region.”