Process

In 2006 BioMCN acquired a conventional methanol plant in Delfzijl in the north of the Netherlands. The traditional method for producing methanol involves the use of non-renewable natural gas. We have developed an innovative patented process that converts crude glycerine into bio-methanol.

The feasibility of the glycerine-to-methanol process was demonstrated on a pilot plant scale in March 2008. We are now building a larger unit with a capacity of 200,000 tonnes per year which will come on stream in 2009. The site can accommodate another three such units, adding up eventually to a capacity of 800,000 t/yr of bio-methanol.

There's no shortage of crude glycerine, which is generated as a by-product during the manufacture of biodiesel. Production of biodiesel is growing in response to demand for transport fuels with a lower carbon footprint. The main feedstocks for biodiesel production are vegetable oils or fats and methanol, with glycerine as a by-product.

Our process closes the cycle by converting the by-product crude glycerine into methanol feedstock. This allows biodiesel production to become even more sustainable, while avoiding potential problems with the disposal of surplus glycerine.

The crude glycerine from biodiesel plants is transported by ship, train or truck to the BioMCN plant, where it is stored in tanks. The crude glycerine is then purified, evaporated and cracked to obtain syngas (synthesis gas), which is used to synthesise the bio-methanol. Next, the bio-methanol is purified by distillation and is stored. Tankers delivering the raw glycerine collect a return load of methanol, thus optimising the logistics in the chain.

The syngas used in the process can also be obtained from other forms of biomass such as wood or algae. In order to ensure sustainability, we use renewable feedstock exclusively derived from organic waste materials and crops other than those used for food consumption. Further to this we are also investigating the feasibility to use our own and other companies' CO₂ emissions as feedstock for sustainable methanol.