BioMCN Produces Renewable Methanol with Green Hydrogen

Nouryon (formerly AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals) and Gasunie agreed to supply green hydrogen to BioMCN for the production of renewable methanol from CO2. The companies said it marks the next step in the sustainability of processes in the industry.

Nouryon and Gasunie are currently investigating the possible conversion of sustainable electricity into green hydrogen using a 20-megawatt water electrolysis unit in Delfzijl, the Netherlands. A final decision on the project is expected later this year.

BioMCN will combine hydrogen from the intended facility with CO2 from other processes to produce renewable methanol, a raw material for biofuels and a variety of chemical feedstocks. Compared to fossil-based methanol this will reduce emissions by up to 27,000 tons of CO2 per year.

“This partnership is an important step towards a circular economy,” said Søren Jacobsen, managing director at BioMCN. “Thanks to the supply of green hydrogen, we can replace natural gas as a feedstock and recycle carbon emissions to produce new raw materials and fuels, effectively turning CO2 emissions into carbon savings and helping the Netherlands meet its carbon reduction goals.”

“Green hydrogen is a realistic alternative for fossil-based raw materials,” said Knut Schwalenberg, managing director, Industrial Chemicals at Nouryon. 

“We will be transporting different energy carriers, such as hydrogen and green gas, increasingly through our pipelines in the future,” added Gerard van Pijkeren, managing director at Gasunie New Energy. “This network may have a capacity of 10 gigawatts or more by 2030.”