http://www.ipt.ntnu.no/~jsg/undervisning/naturgass/oppgaver/Oppgaver2010/10Huot-Marchand.pdf
We've many times documented for you the fact, that, not only can King Coal's friendly ghost, Carbon Dioxide, be reclaimed, from whatever handy or convenient source and then be recycled in the making of both liquid and gaseous hydrocarbon fuels, but, that, as seen, for one example in:
West Virginia Coal Association | Iceland Recycles Even More CO2 | Research & Development; concerning: "Carbon Recycling International (CRI) captures carbon dioxide from industrial emissions and converts carbon dioxide into Renewable Methanol (RM). ... RM is a drop-in fuel for existing automobiles and hybrid flexible vehicles and can be purchased at existing gasoline stations. The production of RM is feasible in many locations in the world with geothermal, wind, and solar energy sources";
they seem to be doing just that in the nation of Iceland, right now; where, as a scrutiny of the "Carbon Recycling International" web site would seem to reveal, they are employing processes invented in the United States by one of our resident Nobel Laureates, as illustrated in just two of our more recent reports:
West Virginia Coal Association | California March 2012 Efficient CO2 to Methanol | Research & Development; concerning: "United States Patent 8,138,380 - Electrolysis of Carbon Dioxide ... for Production of Methanol; March 20, 2012; Inventors: George Olah and G.K. Surya Prakash, CA; Assignee: University of Southern California; Abstract: An environmentally beneficial method of producing methanol from varied sources of carbon dioxide including flue gases of fossil fuel burning power plants, industrial exhaust gases or the atmosphere itself"; and:
West Virginia Coal Association | California July 2012 Efficient CO2 to Methanol | Research & Development; concerning: "United States Patent 8,212,088 - Efficient and Selective Chemical Recycling of Carbon Dioxide to Methanol, Dimethyl Ether and Derived Products; July 3, 2012; Inventors: George Olah and G.K. Surya Prakash, CA; Assignee: University of Southern California; Abstract: An efficient and environmentally beneficial method of recycling and producing methanol from varied sources of carbon dioxide including flue gases of fossil fuel burning powerplants, industrial exhaust gases or the atmosphere itself. Converting carbon dioxide by chemical or electrochemical reduction seconardy treatment to produce essentially methanol, dimethyl ether and derived products".
We'll note that separate documentation concerning Carbon Recycling International's CO2-recycling operations indicate that they have, in fact, named their first Carbon Dioxide-recycling factory the "George Olah plant"; and, that Olah and his USC colleague, Surya Prakash, seem to officially serve on the Carbon Recycling International company's board of directors and advisors.
In any case, we've also noted that the very major, Japan-based multinational corporation, Mitsubishi, as well, has an interest in Carbon Dioxide recycling, as seen in our report of:
West Virginia Coal Association | Japan Converts CO2 to Fuel | Research & Development; concerning: "Dimethyl ether synthesis from carbon dioxide by catalytic hydrogenation (Part 1) activities of methanol dehydration catalysts; Authors: Hirano Masaki (et. al.); Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd (et. al.) The authors have developed ... catalyst for methanol synthesis from CO2 and H2, and have been studying a technology for the direct synthesis of dimethyl ether (DME) from CO2 and H2"; and: "Dimethyl Ether Synthesis from Carbon Dioxide by Catalytic Hydrogenation (Part 2) Hybrid Catalyst Consisting of Methanol Synthesis and Methanol Dehydration Catalysts"; Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd (et. al.)".
More about "Mitsubishi Heavy Industries", and just how credible they are and just how much economic heft they wield, can be learned via:
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia; "Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. ... is a Japanese multinational engineering, electrical equipment and electronics company headquartered in Tokyo. (Their) products include aerospace components, air conditioners, aircraft, automotive components, forklift trucks, hydraulic equipment, machine tools, missiles, power generation equipment, ships and space launch vehicles (and, they are) one of the core companies of the Mitsubishi Group"; and:
Mitsubishi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia; "The Mitsubishi Group ... (also known as the Mitsubishi Group of Companies or Mitsubishi Companies) is a Japanese multinational conglomerate comprising a range of autonomous businesses which share the Mitsubishi brand, trademark and legacy.
And, as can be further learned via:
Mitsubishi Motors - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia; "Mitsubishi Motors Corporation ... was formed in 1970 from the automotive division of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries";
the Mitsubishi brand most of us are familiar with actually sprang from the core Mitsubishi company that had, as in the above reference to our earlier report, begun to establish some of the tenets of Carbon Dioxide recycling technology.
And, herein, we discover that the quite significant, immensely capable and obviously wealthy Mitsubishi seems to be involved with, and is perhaps even backing, the Carbon Dioxide recycling industrial revolution being lit in the North Atlantic outpost of Iceland.
As seen, with comment appended, from the initial link in this dispatch to:
"Dimethyl Ether Production from Carbon Dioxide and Hydrogen
Pierre-Etienne Huot-Marchand; Trondheim; Norway; November 2010
Abstract: The chemical recycling of carbon dioxide to methanol and dimethyl ether (DME) provides a renewable, carbon-neutral, source for efficient transportation fuels. DME can be used in diesel engine, although some modifications of the engine are required. The Icelandic government has established a long term vision for zero percent hydrocarbon fuel emissions, and has been working to increase the use of renewable energy.
So, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) is planning to open a DME plant in 2014, in Iceland.
A two step process is adopted to produce DME, via methanol, produced from carbon dioxide and hydrogen.
To end that, the flue gas from the ELKEM ferrosilicon plant is fed to the MHI’s CO2 recovery process, using KS-1 solvent, after sulfur removal in a wet scrubber.
(Note: They are going to, as a practical proposition, use "flue gas" for the synthesis of methanol and dimethyl ether.)
Hydrogen is generated by electrolysis of water.
But it is possible to improve methanol production using ... coal.
(Note, should you open the link and access the full document, that it has rather obviously been translated into English from the original language, probably French but perhaps Norwegian, and we have been compelled to edit rather aggressively to compensate for some awkward repetitions and phrasing created by the seemingly quite literal translation.)
Introduction: In order to recycle carbon dioxide, many solutions have been suggested, especially its chemical conversion. One of them is the synthesis of methanol from CO2 and H2. That is why, it has been demonstrated on a pilot scale in Japan.
There is also significant interest in CO2 to methanol process in China, in Australia and in the European Union.
(But not, it seems significant to note, apparently in the United States of America.)
The first commercial CO2 to methanol recycling plant should open in 2014, in Iceland.
(As we have noted in other reports concerning Iceland's CO2-recycling enterprise, the "George Olah factory" that is, by reports, in operation now is considered to be a "pilot" plant.)
More, this methanol could be used to produce dimethyl ether (DME), in order to replace fossil fuels for transport and fishing. Thus, it will increase the use of renewable energy, and it is a good long term vision.
The main firm involved in the project is Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
(MHI) ... .
This will be a large scale test for the benefit of MHI and Iceland, so MHI should provide and guarantee the technology for 20 years. The costs are evaluated to 278 million Euros (International DME Association 2010) and do not represent the topic of this report, based on technologies.
Firstly, some information about dimethyl ether will be described. Then, this project in Iceland will be presented. Thereafter, the production process will be explained in details, especially about sulfur removal, carbon dioxide capture, hydrogen generation, methanol and DME production. Finally, an environmental impact analysis will be established followed by a study of the potential application and demand of DME in Iceland.
DME is ... promising as a clean-burning hydrocarbon fuel, owing to its high cetane number (55-60, higher than the 40-55 of conventional diesel fuel), ... in LPG Blending and Substitute, Diesel Blending and Substitute, Power Generation and Acetylene Substitute. Only moderate modifications are needed to convert a diesel engine to burn DME. The simplicity of this short carbon chain compound leads during combustion to very low emissions of particulate matter, NOx, CO. For these reasons as well as being sulfur-free, DME meets even the most stringent emission regulations in Europe, U.S., and Japan.
Iceland is still importing fossil fuels for transport and fishing (despite broad use of hydro and geothermal energy). These imports represent ten percent of the total value of imported goods to Iceland. So, the government is investigating the possibility of introducing alternative fuels in this field, like DME. Indeed, any country should use the fuel that is the cheapest, imported or not.
(On) November 21st, 2008 all (interested) parties agreed to sign a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) to study the feasibility of a DME synthesis plant project for a potential application as an alternative fuel for certain vehicles and fishing vessels.
The companies represented in this MOU are ... :
- Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (“MHI”) is one of the world’s leading heavy machinery manufacturers and plant engineering contractors. MHI has a diverse line-up of products and services including shipbuilding, power systems, chemical and environmental plants, industrial and general machineries, transportation systems, aerospace equipments, et cetera. MHI has supplied a total of 15 turbines to Icelandic geothermal power generation plants and supports the country’s energy policy ... .
- Mitsubishi Corporation (“MC”) is one of the world’s leading trading houses engaged in trading, financing and investment activities in the global industry, including machinery, petrochemicals, oil and gas, renewable energy, metals, food and general merchandise. MC, together with MHI, has collaborated with Icelandic power companies on geothermal power projects for more than 30 years.
The Parties will also evaluate the DME synthesis as a measure to reduce CO2 emission, since the synthesis DME can be considered as carbon neutral fuel. Because the DME will be produced from the feed material of both H2, which (is) generated from renewable energy of hydro and/or geothermal power, and CO2 captured from existing flue gas.
So, in this project, the synthesis of methanol from carbon dioxide is studied (for the first step of DME synthesis). It is not really hard to find a plant which currently discharges significant amounts of CO2 as flue gas to the atmosphere ... . In Iceland, the plant site near ELKEM ferrosilicon plant in Grondartangi has been selected as the best place for the DME production plant ... .
The DME production plant consists of following 4 main process plants (:) a CO2 capture plant, a H2 generation plant, a methanol plant and a DME plant.
Before feeding the flue gas into the Carbon Capture System, it needs to be pre-treated to remove sulphur. These pollutants, besides their environmental effect, tend to poison the catalyst systems. To that end, a Flue Gas Desulfurization system (FGD) is adopted, and five methods are available: wet scrubbers, spray dry scrubbers, sorbent injection processes, dry scrubbers and sea water scrubbing.
In this project, it is a post-combustion CO2 capture. But there are a lot of methods available ... . The MHI Carbon Capture System technology should be adopted using chemical absorption, following by an organic capture process with KS-1 solvent. The KS-1 flue gas recovery system was developed by the cooperative efforts of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd and Kansai Electric Power Co., Ltd.
The recovery technology is officially known as the “KM-CDR Process” (Kansai-Mitsubishi proprietary CO2 Recovery Process. Commonly, MEA (Monoethanolamine) is used as solvent, but KS-1 offers the advantages of lower energy requirement and lower solvent degradation rates. This process is used, in Kedah (Malaysia), in Fukuoka (Japan) and in India.
(We'll have at least some additional information to offer on the above supporting technologies in separate reports to follow.)
H2 generated by electrolysis: Electrolysis uses an electric current to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. Any available energy source (alternative energies such as solar, wind, geothermal ...) can be used for the electricity required (can result in zero greenhouse gas emissions).
(See, for example, our reports of:
West Virginia Coal Association | Germany & Pennsylvania Hydrogen from Hydropower | Research & Development; and:
West Virginia Coal Association | General Electric Hydrogen from Geothermal Energy | Research & Development; and;
West Virginia Coal Association | Japan Maximizes Hydrogen Production from Wind Power | Research & Development.)
The new challenges about this technology are reducing the capital cost of the electrolyzer and improving energy efficiency. In order to avoid the cost of the compressor, for transport and storage, researchers are working on integrated compressors into the electrolyser.
(As we will later document, the above issues have been addressed by, among others, Mitsubishi.)
The main reaction to produce methanol from CO2 is the catalytic regenerative conversion of CO2 with hydrogen. It is planned to use this process in Iceland. In this methanol synthesis unit, Mitsubishi Gas Chemical (MGC) developed a methanol synthesis catalyst ... .
(The author digresses to some extent about various other process for producing Hydrogen; and, for first reducing Carbon Dioxide to Carbon Monoxide through reactions with hot Carbon, as in our report of:
Germany 98% Pure Carbon Monoxide from Coal, CO2 and O2 | Research & Development; concerning: "Carbon Monoxide from Coke, Carbon Dioxide and Oxygen; Hydrocarbon Process(US); Lurgi GmbH, Frankfurt (Germany); (Merely) two process steps are required to convert coke to high purity CO. The purpose of the first process step is to gasify coke using a mixture of CO2 and O2 as gasification agent while the second one serves to remove sulfur compounds and residual CO2";
to make the methanol synthesis more efficient by reducing Hydrogen demand, since, even though Methanol can be directly synthesized from Carbon Dioxide, the reaction requires more Hydrogen than if Carbon Monoxide is used. Either way, Carbon Dioxide is being consumed.)
This report (,) based (only) on scientific elements (,) describes a new dimethyl ether production complex and its four main plants:
- a carbon dioxide capture plant, where the flue gas ... is fed to the MHI’s CO2 recovery process.
- a hydrogen generation plant, where hydrogen is generated by electrolysis of water.
- a methanol plant, where a MHI/MGC superconverter is used.
- a dimethyl ether plant, where the crude methanol is converted using a Al2O3 catalyst.
(The) production of alternative renewable energy can reduce foreign currency expenditure to import diesel oil and using Carbon Capture System will reinforce the vision of a zero emission society."
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As noted, we will have more, actually much more, on the Carbon Dioxide capture, Hydrogen generation, Methanol/DME synthesis, and renewable energy technologies which will be, or could be, employed in Iceland's nascent Carbon Dioxide recycling industry; some of them, too, developed by Mitsubishi.
And, we remind you, that it is Methanol that is first being synthesized from Carbon Dioxide and, in essence, Water; and, if, instead of the substitute Diesel fuel, DME, which is derived from the Methanol, we would prefer, or have a greater need for, Gasoline, then, as seen, for only one example, in our report of:
ExxonMobil "Coal to Clean Gasoline" | Research & Development; concerning: "Coal to Clean Gasoline; ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company ... methanol to gasoline technology for the production of clean gasoline from coal";
through ExxonMobil's "MTG"(r), methanol-to-gasoline, technology, and/or others similar, we can further convert the Methanol, no matter what the original source of that Methanol, whether some of our abundant Coal, or, as explained herein, Carbon Dioxide, into Gasoline.
In sum, it is apparently known, and the knowledge is being acted on, in the far Pacific and in the far north Atlantic, that Carbon Dioxide is a valuable raw material resource. They know in those distant places that Carbon Dioxide can be reclaimed from whatever convenient source and then be efficiently converted, through the employment of environmental energies, first, into Methanol; and, then, through Methanol, into either a substitute Diesel fuel or Gasoline.
Since Carbon Dioxide emissions and the supply of liquid hydrocarbon fuels seem such great, intractable problems to us here, in the United States, and, especially, in US Coal Country, why is it that we haven't yet been even publicly told that such options, for the productive recycling of Carbon Dioxide in the synthesis of hydrocarbon fuels, exist?
Seriously: Why?
