Technology Overview

Methanol synthesis (e-methanol) is a technology that converts hydrogen into methanol, commonly used in Power-to-X projects. Methanol is an important chemical compound and can serve as a green fuel when produced from renewable energy and feedstocks. The technology is based on synthesis gas reactions involving H₂, CO, and CO₂, producing methanol through catalytic reactions and water-gas shift processes.

Technical Characteristics

There are four main processes for producing green methanol from green hydrogen:

Process	Key Characteristics	Application/requirements
Direct conversion	Uses H₂ and CO₂ without CO	George Olah plant, Iceland
RWGS	Converts H₂ and CO₂ before synthesis	Requires CO₂ and H₂ supply
Co-electrolysis	Produces CO and H₂ from steam and CO₂	Emerging technology
Biogas-based	Uses CH₄ and CO₂ from biogas	Requires additional H₂ for CO₂ conversion

A typical methanol plant capacity is around 100,000 tons/year, with electricity demand of approximately 100 kWh per ton of methanol. The production cost of e-methanol remains high, due to strong dependence on the cost of green hydrogen from electrolysis and the availability of CO₂ feedstock.

Application in Vietnam

E-methanol technology has not yet been widely deployed in Vietnam.