MI and Aramco Report

This Methanol Institute and Aramco report showcases the decarbonization potential of low-carbon e-fuels in China’s road transport, supported by member companies including Geely Holding Group and OCI Global. 

This 3E (environment, economy and efficiency) study makes the case for e-fuels (e-hydrogen, e-methanol and e-gasoline via methanol to gasoline (MTG) technology) to accelerate the transition for China’s road transport sector. The authors show that e-fuels applications in advanced powertrains such as hydrogen fuel cells electric vehicles, M100 and gasoline hybrid vehicles) could achieve lifecycle GHG emissions as low as battery electric vehicles fully charged with renewable electricity. 

While the current production cost of e-fuels are approximately 2-3 times more than that of their fossil-based counterparts, China envisions overcoming this barrier – namely, scale and cost competitiveness by leveraging its abundant renewable resources, advanced manufacturing capabilities, and its mature energy and chemical value chains. Anticipated advancements suggest a potential halving of e-fuels production costs by 2030 – making the cost of e-methanol, for example, only 30% higher than China’s coal-based methanol. The confluence of electrified powertrains and e-fuels positions China on an accelerated trajectory toward sustainable, low-carbon mobility.

 

Methanol Fuel in China Report

Methanol Fuel in China Report image

The Methanol Fuel in China report was the outcome of a collaborative effort between MI, Methanex, and China Association of Alcohol and Ether Fuels and Automobiles (CAAEFA) to shed light on the intricacies of the methanol fuel market in China, which has to date remained primarily opaque to observers. The report’s authors gathered data through a survey of more than four hundred Chinese companies that were either manufacturers or users of methanol applications in China. The sampling pool for the survey was representative of the whole supply chain from production to consumption of methanol, including the technologies that enabled its consumption as a fuel. This allowed the authors to get a holistic insight into the entire value chain of different methanol applications. In 2019, China’s total consumption of methanol fuel reached nearly 6 million metric tons (2 billion gallons or 7.5 billion liters), accounting for 7% of total methanol consumption in China, the world’s largest methanol market.

Methanol Institute Releases Two New Reports On Methanol Fuel

The Methanol Institute (MI) released two reports on the use of methanol as a safe, efficient and clean alternative fuel for cars, trucks, and buses.

SGS Inspire has prepared a report for the Methanol Institute titled “Methanol: Properties and Uses,” providing an explanation of the main physical and chemical properties of methanol and how these properties affect the different types of existing internal combustion engines in the market.

The report summarizes an analysis of the physical properties of 19 samples of gasoline and methanol, as well as co-solvents ethanol, methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), and tertbutyl alcohol (TBA) in different blending ratios. In total, 203 properties were analyzed in the laboratory for a total of nearly 4,000 tests. The report validates the technical feasibility of methanol fuels and includes a review of the existing literature and scientific evidence on the use of methanol as a fuel.
Future Fuel Strategies has prepared a primer report for the MI titled “Methanol: A Future-Proof Fuel,” offering a status report and overview of methanol and its current uses in vehicle transportation fuels and its role in future fuels as well. Increasingly, methanol is being used worldwide in several innovative applications to meet the growing energy demand, particularly in transport. The primer presents methanol’s fuel quality benefits, addresses concerns about the use of methanol, the history of methanol blending in fuels, and its future potential as a renewable fuel capable of significantly reducing CO2 emissions.

For additional information on Methanol as an Automotive Fuel, visit our additional resources page.