Carbon Recycling International (CRI) is the world leader in power to methanol technology. We produce renewable methanol from carbon dioxide, hydrogen and electricity for fuel applications, greener chemicals and products. We work with partners to develop transformative projects, increasing resource efficiency and creating valuable products from waste gases and renewable energy. We design, engineer and implement methanol production plants based on our Emissions-to-Liquids (ETL) technology platform. Our solutions are environmentally friendly and do not impact the food chain or land use.
Large-scale Carbon Reduction in Industry
The consensus view of the global climate science community is that avoiding the worst impacts of climate change will require concerted global action to reduce carbon emissions. CRI’s Emission-to-Liquids (ETL) technology enables large scale recycling of the most abundant greenhouse gas, CO2, as raw material for liquid fuel and chemicals. ETL is a key enabling technology for the transition to a circular economy by making it possible to transform industrial CO2 emissions to synthetic fuels and materials, avoiding the use of fossil fuels.
Technology and Services
The Emissions-to-Liquids Technology
The ETL process technology makes it possible to transform carbon dioxide emissions and hydrogen into methanol for fuel applications, greener chemicals and products.
It can be applied in two main types of projects:
- When electricity from renewable sources is available, hydrogen is produced from water electrolysis. Hydrogen combined with carbon dioxide is then transformed into renewable methanol (e-methanol).
- When by-product or waste gas rich in hydrogen is available, it can be processed and combined with carbon dioxide to produce methanol with a low carbon footprint.
Carbon Recycling International has accumulated a decade of experience in solving the problems of economical CO2 capture and utilization with the ETL technology. For more information regarding the technology, its features and benefits select the categories below and check out our technology profile.
Key Benefits
- Direct and Selective Process
- Low Turndown and Flexibility
- Validated Catalyst Performance
- Distillation for Crude Methanol
- Easy to Integrate
- Cost Effective Heat Integration
- Inherent Safety Benefits
CO2-to-Products Pathways; CRI’s platform in the CCU / Power-to-X ecosystem
CRI’s ETL process technology requires a source of hydrogen and carbon dioxide. Hydrogen can come from water electrolysis, using renewable electricity sources or from stranded waste gases from industry. Carbon dioxide can come from any suitable source, where it is otherwise emitted and can be captured and purified cost-effectively. The synthesized methanol is a globally-traded base chemical, with diverse existing value chains in the fuel and chemical/petrochemical sectors.
Commercial Plants
Together with partners CRI identifies opportunities and develops transformative projects that recycle carbon dioxide based on our ETL platform.
CRI offers a standard plant design with a nominal production capacity of 50.000-100.000 ton/yr methanol. The standard design can also be adapted to larger or smaller scale, depending on requirements.
3D concept rendering of an integrated 100.000 ton/yr renewable methanol plant based on CRI’s ETL platform
Products
Methanol
Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol or wood alcohol, is a clear and colorless liquid at room temperature. Methanol is water soluble and biodegradable and represented by the chemical formula CH3OH.
Due to its many desirable properties and applications annual production has increased steadily, exceeding 80 million tons globally in 2018. It is commonly used as raw material in the manufacturing of chemical products such as plastics, glue, building materials, paint and solvents. It is also a highly effective energy carrier, increasingly being used as a clean burning fuel. As a single carbon molecule, it burns cleanly and does not form soot or particles.
Methanol can be used in both internal combustion engines and fuel cells. As a combustion fuel, methanol has high octane rating (109 RON compared to 95 RON for standard gasoline), which allows for higher efficiency of conversion into mechanical energy compared to gasoline or diesel.
Methanol can be blended with gasoline and each liter of gasoline may contain up to 3% methanol, according to the European fuel standard. Blends of 15% methanol in gasoline are already in use in China and being tested in Australia, Italy, India and Israel. The use of 100% methanol in light vehicles, buses and trucks is also being promoted by authorities in China.
Methanol is used in the production of biodiesel and can also be used to make synthetic fuels such as gasoline or fuel ethers (DME, MTBE, OME etc.) which are suitable either for diesel or gasoline engines. Methanol is also a growing fuel for marine engines, industrial boilers and cookstoves, due to its ease of handling and clean combustion.
Like all fuels Methanol needs to be handled appropriately and with care to ensure safety.
Renewable Methanol - Vulcanol
Vulcanol (TM) is renewable methanol produced by CRI. It is chemically identical to fossil methanol and can therefore be substituted for any traditional methanol application. The use of CRI’s Vulcanol represents a low-carbon fuel pathway and feedstock for producing sustainable materials. Since 2012, CRI has sold Vulcanol (TM) commercially for various applications to clients in Europe and China.
Vulcanol (TM) from our current production plant in Iceland can achieve carbon emissions reduction by more than 90% compared to fossil fuels, in the complete product life-cycle, from extraction, production to end use. The production plant is certified according to the ISCC Plus. Producing methanol using CRI’s ETL process technology releases no toxic by-products, requires no arable land or scarce resources and does not compete with food or feed production.
Vulcanol (TM) is delivered by sea from Iceland in 18-ton mobile ISO-containers.
Applications
Methanol is a large platform clean fuel and chemical with multiple applications. Chemically identical to fossil methanol, renewable methanol can be substituted for any traditional methanol application and thus represents a low-carbon fuel and feedstock for synthetic materials. Select an application below for further information.
- Biodiesel
- Chemicals
- Gasoline Blending
- Wastewater Treatment
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