BASF and China-based Envison Energy said Jan. 29 they will jointly develop technology to convert green hydrogen and CO2 into sustainable methanol.
Envision Energy will develop its own process using BASF's catalyst technology and will then license it to its customers, so they can build larger, sustainable methanol, or e-methanol, plants, said Kerstin Hoffmann, global communications manager for BASF's process catalysts and carbon-capture division.
The two companies intend to demonstrate the feasibility of the process design at Envision Energy's Chifeng site in Inner Mongolia, China, in 2025.
Envision Energy, with headquarters in Shanghai, provides wind turbines and energy management software.
The company will integrate BASF’s Synspire catalyst technology with its energy-management system.
Synspire uses a self-cleaning mechanism that eliminates the accumulation of carbon on the catalyst surface. This prevents early deactivation of the catalyst when a low steam-to-carbon ratio is present, according to a description of the process on BASF’s website.
The new catalyst enables the efficient conversion of green hydrogen and CO2 into e-methanol, which is methanol produced using renewable energy, BASF said.
Envision Energy plans to synchronize its system with wind-power availability. The company will also apply its artificial intelligence platforms to optimize the dynamic mode of plant operation.
E-methanol could be used a sustainable energy source for various modes of transportation without the need for new infrastructure, BASF noted.
