C1 Green Chemicals AG has commissioned a pilot plant for green methanol. It is part of the "Leuna100" project. The plant uses CO₂ from industrial emissions and green hydrogen. A novel catalyst and a homogeneous catalysis process are employed.
In early September, C1 launched its pilot plant in the Leuna Chemical Park and produced the first methanol. The plant's technology is based on a three-dimensionally scalable homogeneous catalysis. This was developed and patented by C1 in cooperation with CreativeQuantum and the Leibniz Institute for Catalysis (LIKAT). The methanol plant now in operation is said to be the first of its kind worldwide. It uses CO₂ from industrial emissions and green hydrogen as raw materials.
The pilot plant enables methanol production under simpler conditions than conventional processes. The process is load-flexible and offers cost advantages regardless of plant size. The pilot plant demonstrates the feasibility of the new approach and lays the foundation for large-scale use in shipping and other industries. The plant, built in container design, consists entirely of commercially available industrial components. This facilitates scaling up to industrial scale.
Optimization of Plant Operation
The next project phase focuses on optimizing plant operation. The goal is to increase efficiency. Additionally, the project participants want to ensure that the carbon used in the production process remains fully in the cycle. For this, they connect the plant to the reverse water gas shift plant of the consortium partner DBI - Gas Technology Institute gGmbH Freiberg. This integration enables the conversion of the used CO₂ into carbon monoxide. The resulting synthesis gas is used for methanol production. This process aims to close the carbon cycle and optimize production under real conditions.
The "Leuna100" project started in August 2023 and is planned for three years. It is funded with a total of 10.4 million euros by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport.
C1's new technology builds on a long tradition in the Leuna Chemical Park: BASF built the world's first methanol plant here in 1923.
