CIUDEN and Eurecat activate pilot plant for green methanol production

The pilot plant will produce a quarter ton per day of green methanol with a purity of over 90% using renewable hydrogen and captured CO₂.
Planta piloto de metanol verde de CIUDEN y Eurecat

The City of Energy Foundation (CIUDEN) and the Eurecat technology center have finalized the design of a pilot plant to synthesize high purity green methanol using green hydrogen and captured carbon dioxide. This infrastructure is now entering its execution phase, aimed at industrial validation of the system.

Green methanol pilot plant operation and benefits

The project, supported by European funds from the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, proposes a cross-cutting solution for various emission-intensive sectors such as the chemical, energy, cement and steel industries. Thanks to a system based on a circular carbon economy, the plant will take advantage of the captured CO₂ and transform it, together with the renewable hydrogen into methanol with more than 90% purity.

The installation integrates reactors with state-of-the-art catalysts catalysts and will use sorption-enhanced conversion. This technology will enable production of approximately 9 kg per hour, which translates into a daily synthesis of a quarter of a ton. In addition, its modular and scalable design makes it adaptable to different industrial environments.

Interdisciplinary collaboration and real application

The first phase of the project was developed at the Eurecat laboratories in Tarragona. in Tarragona. In the second stage, the assembly and simulation of the plant will be carried out at the Amposta site, in collaboration with the company CIRAUQUI. Subsequently, it will be transferred to CIUDEN’s facilities in Cubillos del Sil (León), where it will be validated under real industrial conditions.

In addition to producing sustainable methanol, the plant opens up new possibilities in the manufacture of manufacturing of synthetic fuels, plastics with less environmental impactplastics with lower environmental impact and advanced materials. This consolidates CIUDEN’s capacity as a technology validation platform for solutions aligned with the European Union’s climate neutrality objectives.

Source and photo: CUIDEN