Tianying collaborates with Iceland CRI to develop biomass gasification to green methanol business in China
China Tianying Inc, a major waste incineration power company in China, signed a landmark agreement in October with CRI (Carbon Recycle International), an Iceland company dedicated to innovation of CO2 capture and utilisation technologies, to leverage its methanol synthesis technology in its large-scale E-methanol production project in Liaoyuan. This marks China’s first large-scale project utilising CRI’s proprietary technology for the production of E-methanol from carbon dioxide. The plant will be the third commercial sized plant commissioned utilising CRI’s technology for methanol production in China.
The project embodies the vast potential for sustainable energy and represents a key milestone in the global effort to reduce carbon emissions. Captured carbon through direct combustion of biomass and hydrogen produced with renewable energy will be converted into E-methanol, a critical building block for both the chemical industry and the emerging green fuels market.
Photo: the signing ceremony, Source: Tianying Group
The E-methanol plant’s first phase will have the capacity to produce 170,000 tons of E-methanol per year, with production expected to start in 2025.
The project will utilise green hydrogen from renewable-powered electrolysers and captured carbon of biogenic origins in the production of E-methanol. The plant will be designed to operate at a flexible load for variable wind energy inputs.
The agreement between the companies comprises of CRI’s technology license, engineering design and supply of proprietary equipment. CRI will also collaborate closely with Tianying on the Liaoyuan project to ensure seamless integration, provide operational support during the start-up phase, and provide support for optimal plant performance. CRI’s ETL technology has already proven to deliver results in two commercial plants, successfully converting CO2 captured from waste gas streams to methanol.
Photo: Tianying’s green methanol project in Liaoyuan is under construction, Source: Tianying Group
Beside Liaoyuan project, Tianying has another two green methanol projects in progressing. The first one is biomass, wind and solar to green methanol project in Songyuan, Jilin province, which has a designed capacity of 200,000 ton methanol per annum, including 150,000 ton from CO pathway and 50,000 ton from CO2 pathway. This project has received regulatory approval in June 2024.
The second one is a 620,000 ton green methanol and 38,000 green ammonia project in Anda, Heilongjiang province which neighbouring the largest oil field and petrochemical base Daqing. Tianying has signed cooperation agreement with local government regarding this project.
Regarding these two mega projects, it could be reasonably expected CRI’s CO2 to methanol synthesis technology leveraged as the one in Liaoyuan. It would be a huge boost to CRI’s revenue and profit.
However, Tianying’s projects only represent a small fraction of China’s green methanol ambition via biomass pathway. I will name part of them to reveal the magnitude of momentum. International companies with leading biomass gasification, gas upgrading, and CO2 capture and utilisation technologies should watch China’s market closely where would have great demands soon.