Chinese environmental engineering firm Welle Group has begun operating a green hydrogen-based biomethanol project that uses biogas-generated power to electrolyse water.
The project in Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, produced its first methanol, which Welle said reached 99.9% purity after distillation and third-party testing.
Agricultural wastes like livestock manure and crop straw are anaerobically digested to produce biogas, with carbon dioxide (CO2) captured. Electricity generated from the biogas is used to power water electrolysis to produce what Welle describes as green hydrogen.
The captured CO2 and hydrogen are fed into a catalytic synthesis system to produce methanol.
“The entire process achieves a closed-loop chain of waste – biogas – green hydrogen + CO2 – biomethanol, which greatly improves the efficiency of carbon resource utilisation,” the company said.
Welle has not disclosed the capacity of the site’s electrolyser, hydrogen production rate, or methanol output, but said it will use the project to further develop bioenergy applications.
The project comes as interest grows in using biogenic feedstocks to produce lower-carbon fuels.
Demand for cleaner methanol is also expected to grow beyond its established use as a chemical feedstock.
Shipping has emerged as one of the most prominent new markets, with vessel operators increasingly eyeing methanol-capable engines as they look to cut emissions and comply with tighter maritime regulations.
