By recycling carbon dioxide into methanol, this science supports U.S. climate goals and helps reduce greenhouse gases.
An innovative project that promises to transform sustainable fuel production was selected to receive $3.6 million from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). Led by SRI, the project, entitled “Printed Microreactor for Renewable Energy Enabled Fuel Production,” or PRIME-Fuel, aims to develop a modular microreactor technology that converts carbon dioxide into methanol using renewable energy sources.
This is part of a $41 million DOE investment, including 14 projects to develop technologies harnessing renewable energy sources like wind and solar to produce liquid sustainable fuels or chemicals that can be transported and stored similarly to gasoline or oil. Selected teams will develop systems that use electricity, carbon dioxide, and water at renewable energy sites to produce liquid renewable fuels or substitutes for conventional fuels. These clean fuels can help decarbonize sectors like transportation across the U.S.
“Renewables-to-liquids fuel production has the potential to boost the utility of renewable energy all while helping to lay the groundwork for the Biden-Harris Administration’s goals of creating a clean energy economy,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm in an ARPA-E press release.
Low-carbon fuels cost about $10 per gallon, but using cheaper electricity from sources like wind and solar can lower production costs. It will also create opportunities for smaller communities with renewable resources to invest in affordable and cleaner long-term energy storage solutions.
“We believe that PRIME-Fuel will play a critical role in the transition to sustainable energy solutions,” said Rahul Pandey, senior scientist with SRI and principal investigator on the project. “By harnessing renewable energy to produce methanol, we can help combat climate change while providing valuable resources for various industries by leading to cost-effective and sustainable methanol production.”
Vemuri Balakotaiah and Praveen Bollini, faculty members of the William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Houston (UH), are co-investigators on the project.
Sustainable production of methanol
While methanol can be harmful if misused, its sustainable production offers significant benefits. By recycling carbon dioxide into methanol, PRIME-Fuel supports climate goals and helps reduce greenhouse gases. Methanol can serve as a versatile energy carrier and high-energy density liquid fuel, potentially replacing fossil fuels in various applications. It is also a valuable chemical feedstock that is easily stored and transported. This project not only addresses energy needs but also contributes to a cleaner, more sustainable future.
“By harnessing renewable energy to produce methanol, we can help combat climate change.” — Rahul Pandey
“Methanol is a platform chemical, meaning a lot of the chemicals and products you see in your everyday life could actually be produced starting from methanol,” said Bollini, an associate professor of chemical engineering at UH. “An important example would be food packaging that helps enhance shelf life at the grocery store.”
Innovation through collaboration
The PRIME-Fuel project will leverage cutting-edge mathematical modeling and SRI’s proprietary Co-Extrusion printing technology to design and manufacture the microreactor. One of the most remarkable features of this innovative technology is its ability to continue producing methanol even when the renewable energy supply dips to as low as 5% capacity.
“This ensures a consistent output while optimizing energy consumption through advanced control algorithms and real-time monitoring systems,” Bollini said. “The technology developed here will provide a means for the distributed, low-cost production of methanol using stranded renewable sources of energy, including those in underdeveloped countries.”
Balakotaiah, whose research involves mathematical modeling and analysis of the interactions between transport processes and chemical reactions, will use reduced-order mathematical models of microreactors to guide the microreactor’s design and real-time simulations of transient-state operations. Bollini, whose research focuses on improving the catalytic process critical to carbon mitigation in the energy transition arena, will work to develop novel catalysts for improving carbon dioxide conversion and methanol yield.
Making an impact on climate and sustainability
During this three-year project, the researchers will develop a microreactor prototype capable of producing 30 MJe/day of methanol while meeting energy efficiency and process yield targets. When scaled up to a 100 MW electricity capacity plant, it will be capable of producing 225 tons of methanol per day at a low cost, while reducing associated emissions by more than 88%.
“What we are building here is a prototype or proof of concept for a platform technology, which has diverse applications in the entire energy and chemicals industry,” Pandey said. “Right now, we are aiming to produce methanol, but this technology can actually be applied to a much broader set of energy carriers and chemicals.”
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This post is adapted from a University of Houston announcement.
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Acknowledgment: “The information, data, or work presented herein was funded in part by the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), U.S. Department of Energy, under award number DE-AR0001947. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof.”
