Methanol is like hydrogen. Job one is to decarbonize existing uses before inventing new ones. As a marine fuel, it's not the best choice.
Table of energy cost comparisons for bulk methanol and diesel in China, Europe and USA by author
So that challenge was worth digging into. What it shows is that with fossil-sourced methanol, there is no price advantage in any market over diesel, so no economic reason to switch. As I pointed out, fossil-sourced methanol would still emit 97% of CO2e as diesel, so there’s no merit in switching there. It’s more toxic, so that’s a strike against it.
Cattle, goats, sheep, and buffalo have gut microbes that break down the vegetation they eat and release methane. That methane vents to the atmosphere when the animals belch. That’s a problem that is not reasonable to try to capture. It’s far too diffuse. Minimizing emissions is the reasonable strategy there, and there arethat will assist with that.
The global market is currently 170 million tons of methanol, and job one is to decarbonize that, not create a new methanol market where none exists. As I pointed out in the initial article, CO2e emissions from current methanol manufacturing are in the range of a quarter of a billion tons annually, which is significant. A virtuous and tightly sealed biomethanol pathway that pushed animal dung through to liquid methanol for industrial use would be a good pathway.
And fourth, it’s reasonable at first blush to assume that putting a methanol manufacturing plant on a big landfill has a reasonable pathway to decarbonize part of the methanol supply. It’s worth noting that a ton of methanol requires 0.6-0.7 tons of methane, so that 170 million tons annual supply requires about 110 million tons of methane. Contextually, US landfills produce about 4 million tons of methane annually, and it’s a very high waste society.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
New offshore floating solar tech can withstand harsh marine conditionsThree forms have joined forces to engineer a new offshore floating solar technology called SEAVOLT they claim is capable of operating in harsh marine conditions.
Read more »
US Merchant Marine Academy rescinds vaccine mandate days after accusations of 'iIlegal attack'The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy lifted its vaccine mandate Friday after receiving a letter from Rep. Jim Banks calling it unconstitutional and 'an illegal attack.'
Read more »
Why NHRA Top Fuel Champion Brittany Force Is Already Feeling 'Gut Aches' of New SeasonPep Boys All-Star Callout bonus race throws an extra monkey-wrench into tension-filled opener at Gainesville, Fla.
Read more »
NHRA Gainesville Qualifying Friday: Brittany Force Leads Top Fuel After Day 1Bob Tasca, Erica Enders, Steve Johnson also start season fast in Florida.
Read more »
Delta embraces “sustainable aviation fuel” in its net-zero pursuitDelta Air Lines, Utah's largest air carrier, announced it is moving to 'sustainable aviation fuels' made from plant material instead of fossil fuels. It's part of a larger sustainability push for the airline.
Read more »
'Shocking': Saudi Aramco Posts Largest-Ever Annual Profit for a Fossil Fuel Company'These extraordinary profits, and any future income derived from Aramco, should not be deployed to finance human rights abuses, cover them up, or try and gloss over them,' said Amnesty International.
Read more »