Sustainably produced methanol from the Carbon2Chem® joint project is entering industrial application

In the Carbon2Chem^® joint project, CO₂ from industrial exhaust gases is converted into sustainable methanol with the help of hydrogen. This methanol is now being used in the “Power2Polymers” project: It is first processed into paraformaldehyde and then into novel polyols, which in turn form the basis for adhesives, coating materials, lubricants and sealants. 

The connecting element: Both projects are funded by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) and aim to establish sustainable value chains: from exhaust gas to raw material, from raw material to product – and on an industrial scale. At the same time, “Power2Polymers” is docked as a satellite to the Kopernikus P2X project – another key project for the energy transition and also part of the BMFTR funding program. The contact between the projects is thanks to the commitment of Prof. Walter Leitner, who conducts research at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion – a Carbon2Chem^® project partner – among other places.

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For the scientists at Carbon2Chem^® , this integration is an important step: “Until now, we have primarily used the sustainably produced methanol within the project, for example as a CO₂-neutral and emission-free fuel for the eMethanol car. Now we can also move forward with implementation elsewhere and prove that our methanol is of the same quality as methanol based on natural gas,” says Dr. Andreas Menne, researcher at Fraunhofer UMSICHT and head of the “Methanol Synthesis” work package.

The fact that the sustainable methanol has this quality is thanks to the successful interaction of all work packages in the joint project: above all, the investigation and integration of exhaust gases from various industrial processes. “Through systematic processing using innovative gas purification technologies and methanol production, we are producing high-purity methanol within the Carbon2Chem^® project that can also be used safely in marine engines and the chemical industry,” emphasizes Dr. Torsten Müller, head of the “Coordination and Communication” subproject. “The task now is to find further demonstration cases and prove the attractiveness of our methanol for other markets.”

Zim Hintergrund

Carbon2Chem^® entwickelt seit 2016 modulare Konzepte und Bausteine für die Abscheidung und Nutzung von Kohlenstoffmonoxid (CO) und Kohlenstoffdioxid (CO₂) aus unterschiedlichen industriellen Prozessgasen als Beitrag zum Klimaschutz. Das vom Bundesministerium für ­Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt geförderte Verbundprojekt versteht sich als Technologieplattform für Carbon Dioxide Capture and Utilization (CCU)-Lösungen. Ein Konsortium aus Unternehmen und Forschungseinrichtungen arbeitet an Lösungen, die Gesellschaft, Industrie und Politik bei der Planung, Gestaltung und Umsetzung der Energiewende unterstützen.

Source

Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT, press release, 2025-07-31.

Supplier

Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt (BMFTR)
Fraunhofer-Institut für Umwelt-, Sicherheits- und Energietechnik (UMSICHT)
Power2Polymers

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