The environmental impact assessment (EIA) report for a 100,000-ton-per-year green methanol project developed by Zhongke Nengyuan Chemical (Gansu) Co., Ltd. has entered the public review process, according to an official notice released on June 30.

The project, located in the Chemical Industrial Park of Minle Industrial Park in Gansu Province, represents a total investment of 1.05 billion yuan (approximately US$146 million).

The facility is designed to produce 100,000 tonnes of green methanol annually, supported by a 13,333 Nm³/h water electrolysis hydrogen production system and a 30,000 Nm³/h biomass gasification unit supplying crude synthesis gas.

According to the EIA documents, the project will include:

• seven biomass gasification units (six operating and one standby);
• one crude syngas purification and shift conversion unit;
• one water electrolysis hydrogen production unit;
• one methanol synthesis and distillation unit;
• one air separation unit;
• an 18.5-ton-per-hour biomass boiler;
• wastewater treatment facilities;
• waste heat recovery systems; and
• associated utilities, storage, transportation and environmental protection infrastructure.

A key feature of the project is its hydrogen production system based on solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) technology.

The hydrogen plant will occupy approximately 3,986 square meters and consist of 48 SOEC electrolysis container units, each capable of producing 280 Nm³/h of hydrogen, providing a combined hydrogen production capacity of 13,333 Nm³/h for green methanol synthesis.

The project will adopt Beijing Kaimingyang Thermal Energy Technology Co., Ltd.'s multi-oxygen combustion biomass gasification technology.

The technology uses pure oxygen as the combustion medium, enabling high-temperature oxidation reactions that generate synthesis gas while producing a flue gas stream composed primarily of high-purity carbon dioxide. According to the project documents, the captured CO₂ can be recovered and reused for downstream applications.

Source:   Hydrogen Cloud Chain