Techno-Economic Assessment of a Methanol Synthesis Method Using Renewable Energy

Abstract

Decarbonising hard-to-abate transport sectors, including maritime shipping and heavy-duty land transport, requires sustainable and energy-dense alternatives to fossil fuels. Green methanol synthesised from biogas offers a promising low-carbon fuel option, providing a more sustainable methanol production pathway, establishing a closed-loop carbon cycle, and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from organic waste. This study proposes and evaluates a comprehensive system for producing 10 tonnes of green methanol per day in Shanghai through biogas bi-reforming, which integrates steam and dry methane reforming to generate syngas with a suitable composition for methanol synthesis. The proposed system integrates bi-reforming process with wind-powered electricity and hydrogen generation to enhance its sustainability. A detailed techno-economic assessment was conducted to evaluate system performance, resource utilisation, and economic viability of this green methanol production pathway. The results demonstrate that a methane conversion of 99.7% can be achieved, with a levelised methanol production cost of 3880 RMB/t. These findings present the technical feasibility and economic potential of biogas bi-reforming for green methanol production, also helping bridge the gap between theoretical research and industrial implementation while supporting China’s ‘Dual Carbon’ goals and the global transition towards sustainable energy.