The pilot plant for methanol-synthesis at the Osaka Works

Special Feature

Innovation

Establishing an Innovative
Technology to Synthesize
Methanol from CO2
On May 23, 2009, a pilot plant at the Mitsui Chemicals Osaka Works became the first site in the
world to synthesize methanol from its carbon dioxide (CO2) exhaust. Methanol is used as a raw
material in many different chemical products. If we can synthesize methanol from CO2 (fixation
of CO2), it will enable us to recycle environmentally destructive CO2 without relying on fossil
fuels, which is our ultimate target. Mitsui Chemicals is committed to creating new value through
the generation of innovative new technologies, and our CO2 fixation technology has shown us a
new answer to the CO2 dilemma.

Hydrogen L Presumes purchase or use of surplus hydrogen

procurement L We have also begun to develop innovative
technologies for manufacturing hydrogen
(Joint research with university)

Chemical fixation of CO2

Separation and
concentration of CO2 Methanol synthesis

L Introduce L We will independently develop a

commercialization methanol-synthesis technology
technologies that enables actual exhaust gas
to be used industrially, based on
the catalysis developed by the
RITE project

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 Catalysis used for methanol synthesis

hours of continuous
Leading-edge Catalysis operation, and collect
Technologies Are Making It design data necessary for a
full-scale manufacturing
Possible to Recycle CO2 plant. The Mitsui Chemicals
Group as a whole produces
Currently, about 40 million 5.14 million tons of CO2 per
tons of methanol is year. If all of the CO2 can be
produced per year fixed, this would not only
worldwide, almost all of completely eliminate our
which is made from carbon CO2 emissions, but also Toshihiro Takai
Process Unit Leader
monoxide (CO) and produce 3.7 million tons of Process Technology Center,
hydrogen. Until now, it has methanol per year. Production & Technology Center
been considered to be Osaka Works

unfeasible to synthesize
methanol using CO2 as a
Kenji Fujiwara
Research Fellow
raw material, because CO2 We Are Also Creating Innovative
is more stable than CO, and
Catalysis Science Lab.
Research Center is thus less chemically New Technologies in Hydrogen
reactive. Procurement
Mitsui Chemicals, however, participated in the Project
for Chemical CO2 Fixation & Utilization carried out by This is an attempt to create
RITE*1 from 1990 to 1999, and has since continued to a new manufacturing
develop catalysis methods capable of synthesizing process through innovative
methanol from CO2 and hydrogen. “A catalyst promotes technologies, but there are
a reaction that converts raw materials into chemical still challenges remaining.
products, without itself changing,” says Kenji Fujiwara, The biggest challenge is the
research fellow at the Mitsui Chemicals Catalysis Science procurement of hydrogen. In
Laboratory. “In the RITE project, we created new the pilot program, we are
catalysts by adding a variety of metals to a copper and using surplus hydrogen from
zinc base, and succeeded at synthesizing methanol our plants, but it would be
efficiently from CO2 and hydrogen,” he explains. meaningless to procure Takehiko Takagi
At Mitsui Chemicals, we are advancing research into hydrogen from fossil Manager
Planning & Coordination Div.
catalysis science because we foresee a shift from resources. Production & Technology Center
petroleum to other resources as raw materials for Mitsui Chemicals is thus
chemicals. We have also continued to improve new developing photo-catalysts
catalysts capable of synthesizing methanol from CO2 and for splitting water and solar cell’s materials for electrolysis
hydrogen. “Our pilot plant is now facing a major hurdle on water, as part of our research into extracting
that is different from the RITE project,” says Toshihiro hydrogen. In this process, we use sunlight and other
Takai, process unit leader at the Osaka Works Process forms of natural energy. “Although we currently do not
Technology Center. have a great deal of surplus hydrogen, we are committed
“Although the RITE project used pure CO2,” he says, to continuing to conserve energy, and using this precious
“the pilot plant uses actual exhaust gas from our plants hydrogen without waste, crossing regional and industry
as a raw material. This gas contains gases that greatly boundaries, until we can obtain hydrogen from natural
inhibit catalysis, such as nitrogen oxide (NOx) and sulfur energy,” says Takehiko Takagi, Manager of the Planning
oxide (SOx).” & Coordination Division, whose job is to coordinate the
The pilot plant has the capacity to synthesize pilot project.
approximately 100 tons of methanol per year. The pilot Methanol can be used to make the raw materials for
tests verify whether the catalyst can stand up to 4,500 plastics, including such olefins as ethylene and
propylene. After these plastics have been used, if we can
incinerate them, collect their heat energy and CO2, and
„„The concept of chemical fixation of CO2 synthesize methanol from the CO2, then we will have
completed a recycling system using CO2 as the raw
material.
Separation and
concentration
Methanol Hydrogen The period of the pilot program is one year. We will not
synthesis procurement
of CO2 be able to move into full-scale production overnight. But
High-activity catalysts
*
(Already developed) 2 when we are able to meet the conditions for hydrogen
CO2 H2 procurement, and use CO2 as a raw material at industrial
scales, then we will be able to shift immediately to full-
O2 scale production, based on these experiments. We are
H2O
preparing for the future, laying the groundwork so that
Photo-catalysis
CH3OH method we can begin production immediately.
(Under
development)

Olefins, aromatics, ...

*2 Results from “Project for Chemical CO2 Fixation & Utilization (1990-1999; *1 RITE: Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth
supported by NEDO)”, with RITE.

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