Carbon efficient production of methane or methanol from forest biomass
Sustainable methane and methanol can both play a key role in the industrial and societal transition to a low-carbon economy, including their use as fuels, hydrogen carriers, or feedstocks in the production of various chemicals and fuels. Södra’s pulp mill in Värö has excellent potential for producing and distributing these chemicals from bio-based raw materials, and within the West Sweden Chemicals and Materials Cluster, there are many potential end users.
Large quantities of solid biomass such as forest residues (GROT), bark, forest chips, and sawdust are currently burned for the production of electricity and heat. This results in valuable carbon atoms being released into the atmosphere as (biogenic) carbon dioxide instead of being utilized in products. According to the report “Mapping of Biogenic Carbon Flows in the Forest-Based Value Chains in Sweden” (RISE, 2022), burning GROT, bark, forest chips, and sawdust causes carbon dioxide emissions of approximately 15 million tons annually.
There is significant potential to instead produce chemicals or fuels from these renewable resources. Particularly high carbon efficiency can be achieved by combining biomass gasification with electrification/hydrogen integration to maximize yield. Based on (rough) estimates from a recent regional analysis, “Carbon-Free Production in Bio-Based Industry”, conducted by CIT, it could be possible on a national scale to produce approximately 28 TWh of bioelectrofuels from current bark and sawdust flows.
Methane and methanol are two possible products from a gasification-based process, offering interesting business opportunities, particularly from a West Swedish perspective. Methane, in particular, but also methanol, can serve as raw materials for the chemical industry and form a base for the production of various chemicals. Methanol also holds potential as a fuel, particularly for the shipping sector, but also for aviation (through upgrading to jet fuel via processes like methanol-to-jet). Methane can also be used as a fuel, especially for gas-powered vehicles.
Project Objective
The project aims to evaluate and compare the conditions for methane- and methanol-based value chains within the West Sweden Chemicals and Materials Cluster. The production of methane or methanol is envisioned to be based on biomass gasification, with or without electrification to enhance carbon yield (so-called bioelectrofuels or hybrid fuels). In all evaluated value chains, one of the two chemicals will be produced at Södra’s pulp mill in Värö for subsequent distribution and use by one or more of the cluster’s other members.
A more concrete definition of the value chains to be assessed will be developed at the project’s outset, including factors such as scaling, technology selection, and distribution. The evaluation will focus on comparing business cases (costs, potential, obstacles, opportunities) and climate benefits for the different alternatives. When defining the value chains, more detailed specifications will also be provided regarding how the evaluation and comparison of the chains will be conducted.
Special attention will be paid to barriers and opportunities, which may be influenced by various factors that should be included in the assessment beyond purely quantitative metrics like production costs. These factors might include process integration, technology maturity, or policy considerations.
Goals
The goal is to evaluate 4–6 potential West Swedish value chains for bio-based methane and methanol, assessing their potential in terms of business opportunities and climate benefits. The evaluated value chains should be realistic and concrete, encompassing production at Södra’s facilities with a defined process concept at a specified scale, as well as an identified end-user of methane or methanol within the West Sweden Chemicals and Materials Cluster or the transportation sector.
To ensure the project’s relevance, the selection of value chains and process concepts, along with the evaluation methodology, will be validated with the project group during a workshop. The value chains will be compared based on at least production costs, climate performance, and a metric for market potential. Additional aspects, such as integration opportunities, logistics conditions, policy support, technology readiness level (TRL), and willingness to pay, may also be included in the evaluation.
Participating partners
Chalmers Industriteknik, Bioshare, Nordion Energi, Perstorp, RISE, Södra, Uniper
Time period
2024-11-01 – 2025-06-30
Total budget
585 000 SEK
Read the final report here
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