- For the first time, green methanol is synthesized in Leuna.
Just about a year after initiating a trial facility, green methanol has been successfully manufactured at the chemical complex in Leuna. "This is an unprecedented accomplishment," declared Christian Vollmann, head of operating company C1 Green Chemicals, in an interview with the German Press Agency. As reported, economically produced methanol could serve as a climate-neutral fuel substitute for container shipping, in addition to other applications.
Previously, methanol had only been produced through a process called heterogeneous catalysis, according to Vollmann. "But that's changed now. For the first time, methanol has been produced under authentic industrial conditions in a chemical complex using homogeneous catalysis." This implies: "We've significantly streamlined the reaction conditions. The conventional catalysis necessitates 250 degrees Celsius and 80 bar of pressure. Ours, on the other hand, operates at just 110 degrees and 20 bar. That's a major leap in chemistry."
Expanding ambitions for the future
In the future, the eco-friendlier methanol could potentially be produced in greater quantities, suggested the company executive. As the project progresses, the focus will shift towards improving the plant's efficiency.
The objective of this three-year-long project is to utilize carbon dioxide from industrial emissions and green hydrogen as the raw materials for production. This would effectively close the carbon cycle in methanol production and significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The Leuna chemical complex, situated in the Saale district, spans around 1,300 hectares. Various companies employing thousands of workers are stationed on the site. "Leuna100" includes, among others, the Berlin-based startup C1 Green Chemicals AG, the Fraunhofer Institute, and the Technical University of Berlin. The project is financially supported by the Federal Ministry of Transport with 10.4 million euros.
The successful manufacturing of green methanol for container shipping is a promising application, as declared in the interview. With improved plant efficiency, we aim to produce eco-friendly methanol in larger quantities, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by closing the carbon cycle in production.
The economically produced methanol, once mass-produced, could potentially replace fossil fuels in container shipping, making shipping operations more climate-neutral.
