Application
Click to enlarge pictures.
Do not drive on food or feed.
Stena Line has launced its first methanol driven ferry.
Iceland
imports Geely FFV
First
methanol tank in Europe.
Methanol DKK/l = (4.57 * Ethanol DKK/l -1.57 *
Petrol DKK/l)/3
2G-ethanol DKK/l=(8,76*Ethanol DKK/l-4,38*Petrol DKK/l)/4,38
2G ethanol will obviously not be cheaper than 1G ethanol
Market Notes
EU Low-Blend 3 % max. Methanol is second generation biofuel and count double. Due to the lower calorific value 3 % methanol corresponds to 3 % of the total mandated incorporation of 5.75 percent biofuels by energy. 3 %vol methanol replaces 3 % gasoline or 4.6 % 1G-ethanol by volume. The lower the price of gasoline the more competitive the methanol.
In the Danish market 1.8 million m3 of gasoline is consumed annually. 3 % - blends corresponds to a domestic market of 54 million liters of methanol (Trige Energy Park ~ 15 million liters annually). The European market is a hundred times greater, quivalent to 5 billion liters of methanol. (Aarhus Port Energy Plant ~ 0.5 billion liters).
The market leader Dutch BioMCN has an existing market of 100 million liters in Scandinavia and the Baltics. BioMCN has a total EU-market of 300 million liters right now. Read more.
Low-Blends. In markets outside the EU mixtures with up to 15% methanol is used without any modifications to the vehicles.
High-Blends. Mixtures containing more than 30% methanol requires methanol tolerant seals in the fuel system - otherwise no changes. The best use of high-blends is achieved in so-called Flexible Fuel Vehicles (FFV) with programmable engine control unit (ECU) that can run optimally on any mixture including neat methanol.
The Fuel Directive does not allow mixtures with more than 3 % methanol. Mixtures with less than 70 % gasoline is, however, not regulated by the fuel directive. This explains the widespread use of E85 (85 % ethanol and 15 % petrol) in Sweden. That is, fuel of 0-3% and 30-100% methanol is allowed in the EU.
Methanol burns more efficient and cleaner than gasoline. For this reason alone a reduction in CO2 emissions and air pollution is achieved. On the road 16 gallons of methanol is equivalent to 10 gallons af petrol. Mileage remain unaffected up to approximately M15 due to the improved combustion.
Methanol can be produced from several raw materials and contribute to independence of oil. These things together justifies the use and testing of High-blends in several markets.
USA.The first market for methanol for transportation emerged in California in the 1980s. After standstill the occurrence of cheap shale gas renewed the interest and US is now investing heavily in new methanol plants. Read more.
China. The largest market for methanol is found in China, where methanol today represents 8 % of the total fuel pool for transportation. Preferably M15 is used, that can be used by all vehicles without modification. Imported cars and new domestically produced cars are FFVs. This provides the basis for sales of high-blends and M100. Read more
Israel has gas off the coast and have great interest in oil independence. The Government supports conversion to high-blends with DOR Chemicals as a supplier. Read more. - 2014 Green Award
Iceland has geothermal methanol and has started importing Chinese FFV. Read more
Denmark. OK AmbA opened a methanol pump in Aalborg - first of it kind in Europe. The tank will service fuel cell vehicles only. Read more
Competition. Ethanol (1G) is the biofuel market leader. Since mid-2012, the price of 1G-ethanol remained about 1 DKK over the price of petrol per liter according to EOF. Read. There is no international listing of 2G-biofuels, but for 1G-ethanol and gasoline. The 2G-fuels are priced relative to the market leading 1G-ethanol. This relationship varies by arithmetic reasons of the actual petrol price.