Conversion of plastic waste to methanol

The overall objective of this project is to develop a carbon-neutral technology for converting plastic waste to methanol.

The technology, which is a type of chemical recycling, is designed to accept the plastic waste which cannot currently be recycled, and which is therefore typically incinerated.
Methanol consumption is expected to grow significantly in the coming years driven by the need for carbon-neutral liquid fuels in sectors where direct electrification via batteries is difficult, e.g., ships and trucks. Methanol is also extensively used in the chemical industry where it serves as a raw material for many products, e.g., polymers, resins, and paints. 

The process to be developed allows for a large reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from incineration of plastic waste and reduces the need for fossil fuels when ships and trucks are fueled by methanol.

The key activities in this project will be to:

• Perform a laboratory validation of the process with different feedstock and process conditions
• Construct and commission a demonstration plant
• Perform demonstration plant validation with real-life plastic waste

The results of this project will be used in subsequent projects to scale up the process to commercial scale.