Low-carbon Methanol Production via Temperature-Pressure-Swing Reactive Capture and Conversion of CO2: A Combined Techno-economic and Environmental Analysis

Methanol is a versatile compound that can be used as both a fuel and a chemical intermediate. It is a colorless liquid with a mild alcoholic scent and a moderately high boiling point. Methanol can be used in various settings, including energy generation, transportation, and fuel cells. It can also be utilized as a fuel in vehicles, power plants, and fuel cells. Methanol is also a vital chemical intermediate that facilitates the production of various chemicals and materials, including formaldehyde, methyl esters, olefins, and dimethyl ether (DME). Its versatility makes it an essential component of diverse industries, contributing to energy production, transportation, and the synthesis of numerous chemicals and materials. The current total U.S. annual methanol capacity is about 9.4 million tons. Therefore, low-carbon methanol holds a key for industrial and transportation decarbonization. Low-carbon methanol can readily be produced via CO2 hydrogenation with renewable hydrogen, for example, using NREL's recently developed temperature-pressure-swing reactive capture and conversion (RCC) of CO2 process (Figure 1). The RCC process makes use of natural gas fired power plant flue gas CO2 as the feedstock for methanol production, which would otherwise be emitted to the atmosphere, thus enabling carbon circular economy and industrial decarbonization. Comparative techno-economic analysis (TEA) and life cycle assessment (LCA) will help assess the economic feasibility and environmental sustainability of the RCC process and compare it with other incumbent technologies, including the benchmark methanol synthesis from syngas derived from natural gas steam methane reforming with carbon capture and storage.