perspective on methanol as a transportation fuel
TRANSCRIPT
PERSPECTIVE ON METHANOL AS A TRANSPORTATION FUEL
Bio4Energy Researchers´ Meeting Skellefteå 15 November, 2017 Ingvar Landälv
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Key Conversion pathways for renewable Methanol
Process step Gasification Shift Methanol synthesis
TOTAL
Conversion from / to Biomass to H2+CO
Non-shifted to shifted syngas
Syngas to methanol product
Biomass to methanol
Conversion route
Biomass gasification, Case A 0.7-0.8 0.96-0.97 0.79-0.8 0.53-0.62
BLG to Methanol, Case B (Biomass added to compensate)
* 0.65-0.7
Biomass to PO combined with BLG, Case C
** 0.49-0.6
* Conversion of BL to syngas and further on to methanol does not make sense (as for biomass gasification) as the overall calculation as explained in the subchapter about BLGMF concepts relates to the biomass addition to the system to compensate for withdrawal of BL normally being fired in a recovery boiler. See ref. ** When PO is added to a BLGMF system PO energy is converted to methanol with about 70% energy efficiency as described under Case C. Production efficiency of PO from biomass is multiplied with this efficiency to get the TOTAL value.
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Methanol Production Potential - Sweden
20 40 60 80 100
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Energy Conversion
efficiency
Biomass feedstock
(TWh)
Methanol Production (TWh)
Low/high data for Swedish biomass potential
Fuel concepts utilizing sources of low cost hydrogen
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Hydrogen can efficiently be fed to the syngas conditioning and purification section of a gasification to fuels plant and accomplish 50-60% higher fuel production from the same amount of biomass feedstock
Adding external Hydrogen to a syngas train
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BEFORE AFTER
+ 55 %
Production Cost of renewable methanol
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Invest-ment
Capital Feedstock O&M
20y/
10%
15y/
10%
10y/
10% Base +25%
Power
60 EUR/ MWh
Power
70 EUR/ MWh
Other O&M
Base (1) (1) (1) (1) (2) (2) (2) (2) (3) (3) (3) (3)
Base
+20%
(4) (4) (4) (4) (5) (5) (5) (5) (6) (6) (6) (6)
Feedstock base: 21 EUR/MWh
Typical production Cost level,
60-75 EUR/MWh
Methanol Use in Engines (some examples)
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Engine Comment
Low methanol blend in gasoline 3% (v) allowed in European Gasoline
High methanol blend in gasoline First of all a Chinese experience but also corresponding concept on ethanol in Brazil
GEM Gasoline/Ethanol/Methanol fuel blends E85 = M56 and GEM mixes “in between”.
Marine Applications Typically 95% methanol with an ignitor operated in diesel mode
“MD95” Scania’s well proven ED95 can be adjusted to operate on methanol as MD95
PPC, Partial Premix Combustion Development going on at Lund University and elsewhere. M100 is a prime fuel candidate
Methanol in Fuel Cells Prevailing concept in 1980s/1990s now “reinvented” by e.g. Nissan (on board reforming of alcohol to hydrogen).
1980 1990 2000 2010
Periods of High Crude Oil Prices
Periods when methanol is looked at as an alternative to crude oil products
Increased concern regarding the GHG issue
Renewable fuel market development
The long term perspective – 1 The 1970/80s and the oil crises
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Oil majors went for methanol when the world was hit by oil crises in the 1970s and 1980s
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Sweden, Norway Germany, USA and others run large test fleets on M15, M85 and M100 for many years
METHANOL FROM NATURAL GAS When capital is payed back, which is done in 4-5 years, only cash cost remains. This is in the order of 13-23 EUR/MWh for NG plants with current typical gas prices.
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Natural Gas price USD/ton USD/MWh EUR/MWh
4 USD/MMBtu
(12.2 EUR/MWh)
Cash Cost 140 25 23
Capital Cost 238 43 38
TOTAL 378 68 61
2 USD/MMBtu
(6.1 EUR/MWh)
Cash Cost 82 15 13
Capital Cost 238 43 38
TOTAL 320 58 51
Production Cost of various advanced biofuels (from “Cost of Biofuels”, Subgroup Advanced Biofuels)
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Incl. Capital @ 5 years / 15%
Cask costs @ NG price of 2-4 USD/MMBtu
Methanol from Natural Gas
Photo from space showing flaring of various hydrocarbons (SkyTruth, 2016)
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See: https://viirs.skytruth.org/apps/heatmap/flaringmap.html#lat=29.43243&lon=15.26825&zoom=3&offset=15
1980 1990 2000 2010
Periods of High Crude Oil Prices
Periods when methanol is looked at as an alternative to crude oil products
Increased concern regarding the GHG issue
Renewable fuel market development
The long term perspective – 2 The 1990s and introduction of biofuels
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… but when the renewables fuel market started to evolve in the 1990s methanol was “banned”. It now was corrosive and toxic.
Oil majors went for methanol at the oil crises in the 1970s and 1980s …
Safety: Methanol as compared to gasoline with respect to fire risk
Sources: US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA, 1994) and the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) (Machiele, 1990)
“Projections indicate that casualties would drop dramatically if methanol were substituted for gasoline as the country’s primary automotive fuel.” • Lower volatility of methanol compared to gasoline • Higher flammability requirement (four times higher
concentration of methanol vapor needed to ignite compared to gasoline)
• Lower vapour density of methanol avoids dens gas clouds along the ground
• Lower heat release rate (an eighth compared to gasoline)
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Methanol is approved as bunker fuel by Lloyds. It has piggybacked on corresponding work done for LNG.
(It is less complicated. It is e.g. OK to store methanol in space formed by double bottom construction of the vessel)
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1980 1990 2000 2010
Periods of High Crude Oil Prices
Periods when methanol is looked at as an alternative to crude oil products
Increased concern regarding the GHG issue
Renewable fuel market development
The long term perspective – 3 Resent developments in principle cost driven
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1. Marine sector goes for Methanol as bunker fuel 2. China selects methanol as fuel when converting its domestic coal to a fuel
Methanol Standards in China
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REFLECTION: Most European auto makers have their largest market in China. How do their cars manage the methanol content in Chinese gasoline?
Methanol as bunker fuel and in various other applications
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1. Marine Diesel Application 2. M56 in a SAAB BioPower E85 car 3. M100 in speedway motor cycle 4. M95-M100 in Pilot Boat (different engines under test)
Marine engine applications A. MAN Turbo and Diesel B. Wärtsilä
1
2 3
4
A
B
Some Conclusions • Methanol is toxic and corrosive but is overall not more challenging to use
as an automotive fuel than other fuel alternatives. From many aspects it is simpler.
• Storage and handling of methanol is well known • BioMethanol has a high production potential • BioMethanol has comparably low production cost • Conversion efficiency form feedstock to BioMethanol is comparably high • Methanol is one of the most efficient fuels for IC-engines and Fuel Cell
applications
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Work has been financed through contributions from • f3, The Swedish Knowledge Centre for Renewable Transport Fuels • LTU, Luleå University of Technology
Presentation complied from: METHANOL AS A RENEWABLE FUEL – A KNOWLEDGE SYNTHESIS http://www.f3centre.se/sites/default/files/f3_2015-08_landalv_final_170918_0.pdf