The Silent Fuel: Methanol for Power, Fuels and Chemistry in a Low-Carbon Economy

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) From Switzerland comes word of a technology for methanol synthesis plants which capture CO2 from the environment to create renewable methanol fuel.

If you haven’t heard of it before, it’s appropriately named Silent-Power. The company produces both industrial and modular plants and is working to bring modular plants to private residences to empower individuals with energy independence.

And, while methanol fuel is traditionally produced from natural gas, it can also be synthesized using CO2 from the air, making it a renewable fuel.

“When methanol is synthesized in this way, it captures CO2 from the environment and locks it up right into the fuel. This enables the removal of excessive CO2 emissions from the air, which can be especially valuable in range of waste incineration plants or other CO2 emitting facilities,” said Prof. Dr. sc. techn. ETH Urs. A. Weidmann, CEO and Founder of Silent. “The CO2 is bound in the methanol and the substance can be used as fuel again – resulting in CO2-neutral energy.”

But of course, what renewable technology is available in a cold, mountainous climate. Yes, intermittent wind and solar — but only to an extent. And, where’s the storage — so that renewable power can be used as base load? Grid-scale battery storage is not for the faint of heart or fain of wallet.

Silent’s modular or “mini” Econimo power plants can generate this renewable energy source virtually anywhere and store the energy efficiently by locking it within methanol fuel. Further, these plants require only a few meters of space. In 2016, the company won the “Swiss Innovation Award” for the production of CO2 neutral electricity from methanol and for the world’s first commissioning of a methanol mini power plant that could generate enough power for a residence of 45 persons.

The units

The mini power plants are called Econimo, take up only a few meters of space and can be placed just about anywhere. The plants produce no smoke, smell or dust particles and run at close to 80% efficiency. The current batch of Econimo units are producing 30kW of electrical power and 60kW of heat. Due to their lower carbon footprint, these combined heat and power systems are a recognized solution to curb CO2 emissions in power production, and are eligible for subsidies in certain jurisdictions, such as Germany.

Of course, the fuel option too — and let’s not forget methanol chemistry. READ MORE