Circlenergy | Production of renewable methanol from captured emissions and renewable energy sources, for its utilisation for clean fuel production and green consumer goods

Summary
Methanol, needed in industry as a chemical building block (plastics, solvents, additives) and as transportation fuel, has been traditionally produced from coal or natural gas, dependent on fossil fuels (limited supply), contaminating land (mining, drilling) and emitting CO2 to the atmosphere (global warming effect). Nowadays, crop-based biofuels are also used with the same purposes, but consume huge water and land resources for their production.
Carbon Recycling International (CRI), founded in 2006 in Iceland, produces renewable methanol (currently 4 kt/year in the George Olah plant) from industrial CO2 emissions and Renewable Energy Sources (RES), through a novel process of clean fuel production (Vulcanol®). This proprietary technology is called Emissions–to-Liquids (ETL) and is certified ISCC Plus by the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification system. While conventional production of methanol emits up to 4 t CO2/t methanol, our ETL plant fights global warming by consuming 1.4 t CO2/t of Vulcanol® produced and requires approximately 1500 times less land and up to 15,000 less water than crop based biofuel, eradicating ethical concerns about competition between biofuels and human food production. Vulcanol® is an efficient energy carrier that can be used to easily store and transport off-peak renewable energy, stabilizing the power grid and supporting expansion of RES. ETL helps to fulfil stricter EU regulations regarding the use of advanced renewable fuels and RES; improves air quality in industrial areas, thus, health of their population and employees and supports employment creation (25 skilled jobs per ETL plant). During this phase 2, CRI aims to a) scale up the technology and adapt ETL plants to economically operate with RES, b) to attract investment to build and operate ETL plants and c) to close distribution agreements for the produced Vulcanol®, which by 2024 will provide an annual profit of €95.4 million and an 8.2 years payback.
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More information & hyperlinks
Web resources: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/848757
Start date: 01-01-2019
End date: 30-06-2021
Total budget - Public funding: 2 610 543,75 Euro - 1 827 380,00 Euro
Cordis data

Original description

Methanol, needed in industry as a chemical building block (plastics, solvents, additives) and as transportation fuel, has been traditionally produced from coal or natural gas, dependent on fossil fuels (limited supply), contaminating land (mining, drilling) and emitting CO2 to the atmosphere (global warming effect). Nowadays, crop-based biofuels are also used with the same purposes, but consume huge water and land resources for their production.
Carbon Recycling International (CRI), founded in 2006 in Iceland, produces renewable methanol (currently 4 kt/year in the George Olah plant) from industrial CO2 emissions and Renewable Energy Sources (RES), through a novel process of clean fuel production (Vulcanol®). This proprietary technology is called Emissions–to-Liquids (ETL) and is certified ISCC Plus by the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification system. While conventional production of methanol emits up to 4 t CO2/t methanol, our ETL plant fights global warming by consuming 1.4 t CO2/t of Vulcanol® produced and requires approximately 1500 times less land and up to 15,000 less water than crop based biofuel, eradicating ethical concerns about competition between biofuels and human food production. Vulcanol® is an efficient energy carrier that can be used to easily store and transport off-peak renewable energy, stabilizing the power grid and supporting expansion of RES. ETL helps to fulfil stricter EU regulations regarding the use of advanced renewable fuels and RES; improves air quality in industrial areas, thus, health of their population and employees and supports employment creation (25 skilled jobs per ETL plant). During this phase 2, CRI aims to a) scale up the technology and adapt ETL plants to economically operate with RES, b) to attract investment to build and operate ETL plants and c) to close distribution agreements for the produced Vulcanol®, which by 2024 will provide an annual profit of €95.4 million and an 8.2 years payback.

Status

CLOSED

Call topic

EIC-SMEInst-2018-2020

Update Date

27-10-2022
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Horizon 2020
H2020-EU.2. INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP
H2020-EU.2.1. INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies
H2020-EU.2.1.0. INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies - Cross-cutting calls
H2020-EIC-SMEInst-2018-2020
H2020-SMEInst-2018-2020-2
H2020-EU.2.3. INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs
H2020-EU.2.3.0. INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs - Cross-cutting calls
H2020-EIC-SMEInst-2018-2020
H2020-SMEInst-2018-2020-2
H2020-EU.3. SOCIETAL CHALLENGES
H2020-EU.3.0. Cross-cutting call topics
H2020-EIC-SMEInst-2018-2020
H2020-SMEInst-2018-2020-2