MAN Energy Solutions has completed the construction of a methanol synthesis unit for a pilot plant in southern Chile to produce synthetic eFuels.
The methanol synthesis unit uses Johnson Matthey proprietary CO2-to-methanol technology. After commissioning, scheduled for later in 2022, the plant will produce up to 750t/yr of green methanol driven by wind power, much of which will be later converted into carbon-neutral gasoline.
The Haru Oni eFuels plant is currently under construction by Chilean company HIF in cooperation with Siemens Energy and other project partners near the southern Chilean city of Punta Arenas; the client is Porsche AG.
Porsche initially intends to use the generated eFuels in several lighthouse projects, among others in motor sports and its Porsche Experience Centers. At first, the pilot phase will generate around 130,000l of eFuels with capacity gradually increasing into an industrial scale by mid-decade.
Norbert Anger, site manager MAN Energy Solutions Deggendorf said: “Sustainably produced, synthetic fuels are indispensable on the road towards a climate-neutral future and we have many years of experience in manufacturing reactor systems for their production. Climate-neutral methanol will especially play an important role in the future as a fuel within the shipping segment so we are pleased to be able to demonstrate our expertise in methanol synthesis in this project.”
Assembly of the 10m-tall methanolreactor system has taken five months. It will now travel from MAN’s Deggendorf site to Rotterdam, the Netherlands, from where it will depart – spending eight weeks at sea – before finally reaching its destination at Punta Arenas. From May 2022, two employees from MAN Energy Solutions, Deggendorf will commission the reactor on site.
