MALMÖ, Sweden — Perstorp, a global leader in the specialty chemicals market, has developed a production concept to produce methanol from a large variety of recovered end-of-life streams and hydrogen from electrolysis. Project AIR will build a first-of-a-kind, large-scale, commercial carbon capture and utilization (CCU) unit to produce sustainable methanol. The methanol plant will be unique in the sense that it is a combined CCU and gasification process where CO₂, residue streams, renewable hydrogen and biomethane will be converted to methanol. Perstorp plans to do this in cooperation with Fortum, Uniper and Nature Energy.

“This innovation would both optimize the use of existing technologies whilst building something completely new, as well as demonstrating carbon capture and utilization, using captured CO₂ as a raw material. It would be a concrete example of the transition towards a circular economy and of how significant CO₂ emission reductions could be achieved by utilizing existing resources and closing loops. This would be an important step for us to achieve our goal of becoming finite material neutral,” said Perstorp’s President and CEO, Jan Secher.

Methanol is one of the most important raw materials for the chemical industry. Project AIR aims to substitute all the 200,000 tons of fossil methanol that Perstorp uses annually in Europe as a raw material for chemical products. The project would support companies downstream in the value chains in their efforts towards renewable/circular materials, reduced carbon footprints, and in their ability to offer sustainable, affordable products. If completed, Project AIR will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 500,000 tons annually. The goal is to start producing sustainable methanol in 2025.

If the required funding is granted, Perstorp plans to build the methanol plant in Stenungsund, Sweden, utilize its own CO₂ and residue streams, and use the methanol to substitute all the fossil methanol used in its production in Europe. Fortum and Uniper plan to supply renewable hydrogen from a new electrolysis plant. One of the world’s largest producers of biogas, Nature Energy will seek to supply biogas to Project AIR.