The Catalyst Review June 2024 - 6

SPECIAL FEATURE
Methanol Synthesis Catalyst Developments
A Review of the Hydrogen Spillover
Mechanism, Performance Factors &
Industry Impact
By: Amy Hinkel Mayer
Methanol: A Key Industrial Chemical
As we look at the research and development that has been completed to improve methanol synthesis catalyst performance, it is
important to keep in mind the significance of methanol as an industrial chemical in a wide variety of markets. Methanol is one of
four major industrial chemicals in addition to ethylene, propylene and ammonia. Demand for methanol is projected to increase
from an estimated 120 Mt in 2025 to 500 Mt by 2050 per IRENA's Transforming Energy Scenario. Figure 1 shows the sustained,
increasing global demand that has already occurred over the past 20 years (IRENA 2021).
Figure 1
Global
methanol
demand and
production
capacity
(2001-2019).
Source: IRENA
2021
Figure 2 shows the many derivatives of methanol, and the markets that are the end users of these chemicals. The breadth of
industries impacted by methanol production is clear. Methanol is a key building block in the production of formaldehyde, acetic
acid. plastics such as polyethylene and polypropylene, and as a fuel for vehicles, ships, industrial boilers and cooking (IRENA
2021).
Methanol can be used as a fuel in its basic form, blended with gasoline, or used in the form of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE)
and dimethyl ether (DME) (IRENA 2021). This is, perhaps, one of its most dynamic uses given the regulations that have been
implemented as part of the International Maritime Organization's (IMO's) " 2023 IMO Strategy on Reduction of GHG Emissions
from Ships. " This directive aims to reduce maritime emissions to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Sulfur limits will
be reduced from 3.5% to 0.5% for maritime fuels. The very low sulfur containing fuels that satisfy this new limit are very costly.
The shipping industry therefore is looking for alternatives to traditionally used fuels. Methanol is a completely sulfur free fuel,
so its use would involve zero sulfur oxide (SOx) emissions and very low nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. It has the added benefit
of negligible particulate matter emissions thanks to the absence of carbon-to-carbon bonds in its structure. Studies on the cost
of converting ships to methanol fuel use have shown that conversion of existing ships would come at a moderate cost, but new
builds would not be significantly different in price compared to traditional ships (IRENA 2021).
6
The Catalyst Review
June 2024

The Catalyst Review June 2024

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