{"id":183380,"date":"2026-11-09T07:32:00","date_gmt":"2026-11-09T06:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/?p=183380"},"modified":"2026-11-03T12:44:47","modified_gmt":"2026-11-03T11:44:47","slug":"synthesis-platform-for-methanol-and-its-downstream-chemistry-from-renewable-sources","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/synthesis-platform-for-methanol-and-its-downstream-chemistry-from-renewable-sources\/","title":{"rendered":"Synthesis Platform for Methanol and Its Downstream Chemistry from Renewable Sources"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n

Using CO2 as its sole carbon source, a pilot plant at the LIKAT Catalysis2Sacle Technical Center in Rostock produces the basic chemical\u00a0methanol<\/a>\u00a0as well as downstream products in the form of two\u00a0synthetic fuels<\/a>. The demonstration plant shows how fundamental chemical processes can function using exclusively renewable feedstocks and be effectively integrated into production lines. It is part of a global effort among experts to capture climate-damaging carbon dioxide (CO2) from civilization\u2019s exhaust streams and utilize it as a raw material. The development of the plant was funded by the Federal Ministry of Digital and Transport.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The team stands next to their small chemical plant, an impressive complex dedicated to research on methanol synthesis and its downstream chemistry. From left: Dr. Stefan Peters, Dr. Sebastian Wohlrab, Dr. Alejandra Carbajal, and Dr. Sergey Sokolov. \u00a9 R. Rachow\/LIKAT<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The goal of the project, called SuME (Sustainable Mobility Enabler), was to produce two examples of \u201ca new generation of fuels,\u201d as stated on the official project website: methyl formate (MeFo) and dimethyl carbonate (DMC). \u201cBoth are CO2-neutral compounds that burn with virtually no pollutants and have an octane rating similar to that of conventional fuels,\u201d explains Dr. Sebastian Wohlrab, coordinator of the SuME project. DMC also serves as an electrolyte for e-mobility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carbon Derived Entirely from CO\u2082<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

At the Leibniz Institute for Catalysis, Sebastian Wohlrab leads a four-person research team that developed and commissioned the pilot plant in collaboration with partners over the course of three and a half years. The plant operates continuously with a maximum yield of one liter per hour. The project received 7.11 million euros in funding. \u201cAs a central building block, our target products contain carbon, just like so many important basic chemical raw materials,\u201d explains Sebastian Wohlrab. The key point: Unlike what is customary in the chemical industry, this carbon does not come from oil, gas, or coal, but entirely from CO2. Sources for this include, for example, exhaust gases from cement or biogas production, or carbon dioxide from the air. The other raw materials for methanol as well as for the two fuels, DMC and MeFo\u2014namely hydrogen and oxygen\u2014also come from sustainable sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alternative Pathways in Chemistry<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Methanol, with the structural formula CH3OH, is the simplest molecule in the alcohol group and, with an annual production of 112 million metric tons (2024), ranks among the most important basic chemicals in global industry. It is produced on an industrial scale from synthesis gas, a fossil-based mixture of carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H\u2082). The transition of methanol synthesis to renewable raw materials is a long-term research goal worldwide. At LIKAT and other leading laboratories, initial solutions have been developed for this purpose, some of which are already being tested on a pilot plant scale. The Rostock facility now combines an alternative methanol process with equally sustainable reaction pathways for downstream products in a continuous manufacturing process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Wohlrab: \u201cFrom this synthesis platform, the entire downstream chemistry of methanol can be explored through alternative reactions.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to the two C1 oxygenates, MoFe and DMC, his research team has its sights set on other target products, such as kerosene and higher hydrocarbons, including longer-chain alkanes and olefins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How the SuME Plant Works<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In the LIKAT pilot plant hall, the pilot facility immediately catches the eye: reactors, pumps, controllers, pressure systems\u2014all towering and surrounded by piping and a protective Plexiglas enclosure. The flow diagram, a 160-page document, can be roughly outlined as follows: An electrolyzer first splits water into hydrogen (H\u2082) and oxygen (O\u2082). The electricity required for this is fed into the grid from the LIKAT pilot plant\u2019s PV system. The hydrogen is then processed in two different ways. In one variant, it reacts with CO\u2082 to form carbon monoxide (CO), which\u2014with the addition of H\u2082\u2014is converted into synthesis gas, from which methanol is then produced. This process is similar to the industrial-scale method, but entirely without fossil fuels. In the second variant, H\u2082 is added to the CO\u2082, which then reacts directly to form methanol, with water as a byproduct. The methanol is then processed further in two production streams: either it is converted to MeFo with the release of H\u2082, or it reacts with CO and oxygen to form DMC.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Hydrogen produced by electrolysis reacts with CO2\u2014either together with additional H2 to form carbon monoxide, which is then converted into synthesis gas and subsequently into methanol\u2014or it reacts directly with CO2 to form methanol. This then reacts to form either MeFo or DMC. \u00a9 LIKAT<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Challenging CO\u2082 Chemistry<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Chemistry based on CO\u2082 is trending, and it is challenging because this greenhouse gas is extremely inert. This poses a particular challenge for catalyst development\u2014LIKAT\u2019s core area of expertise\u2014where the institute possesses recognized expertise and know-how in methanol synthesis. It may sound surprising, but as Dr. Wohlrab explains, copper-zinc catalysts\u2014the same type the industry uses for methanol production from fossil synthesis gas\u2014are suitable for activating CO\u2082 molecules for methanol production. However, these catalysts lose their effectiveness upon contact with water, which is unavoidable in this alternative reaction. Four years ago, researchers at LIKAT succeeded in synthesizing a catalyst with greater stability, \u201cwith a similar chemical composition but a significantly altered micro- and surface structure,\u201d as Sebastian Wohlrab explains. During this time, the idea also emerged to develop a synthesis platform for methanol at the newly opened LIKAT technical center and to seek out funding and research personnel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Project Partners and Current Topics<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Project partners included the TU Bergakademie Freiberg and Fraunhofer IKTS Dresden, as well as the companies EnProCo Berlin and HydroExeed. Since then, the SuME project team has gained a great deal of insight into the influence of water and other reaction components on the catalytic process and has been able to further develop the copper-zinc catalyst. Currently, the chemists are investigating which of the two reaction pathways to methanol is more economically favorable: from CO\u2082 via CO, or the pathway directly from CO\u2082.
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Using CO2 as its sole carbon source, a pilot plant at the LIKAT Catalysis2Sacle Technical Center in Rostock produces the basic chemical\u00a0methanol\u00a0as well as downstream products in the form of two\u00a0synthetic fuels. The demonstration plant shows how fundamental chemical processes can function using exclusively renewable feedstocks and be effectively integrated into production lines. It is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":183395,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","nova_meta_subtitle":"A pilot plant at the LIKAT Catalysis2Sacle Technical Center in Rostock produces two synthetic fuels from CO2","footnotes":""},"categories":[5571],"tags":[22464,10744,12330,10416,21663,14413,14978,10743],"supplier":[28833,28831,1008,28832,23128,1231],"class_list":["post-183380","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-co2-based","tag-biofeedstock","tag-carboncapture","tag-ccu","tag-circulareconomy","tag-greenmethanol","tag-synthesis","tag-syntheticfuels","tag-useco2","supplier-bundesministerium-fur-digitales-und-verkehr-bmv-deutschland","supplier-enproco-berlin","supplier-fraunhofer-institut-fuer-keramische-technologien-und-systeme-ikts","supplier-hydroexceed","supplier-leibniz-institut-fur-katalyse-e-v-likat","supplier-technische-universitaet-bergakademie-freiberg"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183380","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/59"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=183380"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183380\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":183410,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183380\/revisions\/183410"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/183395"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=183380"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=183380"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=183380"},{"taxonomy":"supplier","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/supplier?post=183380"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}