Iceland-headed emissions-to-liquids (ETL) technology developer Carbon Recycling International hf (CRI) has recently announced that it has successfully delivered the methanol reactor for its second commercial-scale project in China.
The ETL reactor is the core equipment needed for the conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen (H2) gas streams – sourced from other onsite chemical processes – into methanol.
This is a major milestone in the construction of the 100 000 tonnes-per-annum methanol plant in Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province for the client Jiangsu Sailboat Petrochemicals, Co. Ltd, a subsidiary of Chinese petrochemical major Shenghong Petrochemical Group Co., Ltd.
According to CRI, the project has progressed well so far and is on track for commissioning and plant start-up during the second half of this year.
The next phase of the project includes operator training and mechanical completion of all remaining equipment.
World’s largest methanol-to-olefins plant
The project is located at Shenghong petrochemical industrial park, one of the largest petrochemical facilities in China.
The site hosts the world’s largest methanol-to-olefins (MTO) process plant supporting the production of a wide product range of polymers and plastics using methanol as a key raw material.
An example of a downstream derivative produced is an ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer. EVA is an elastic and tough thermoplastic used to encapsulate photovoltaics.
Once the CO2-to-Methanol plant at Jiangsu Sailboat Petrochemicals becomes operational it will allow switching out a part of the external coal-based methanol supply to the own produced methanol from locally recycled carbon emissions.
This will result in a lower carbon footprint of the materials used to make photovoltaics and other end-products derived from methanol.
