MefCO2 · Project

Turning Factory CO2 Emissions and Excess Grid Power Into Sellable Methanol

energyTestedTRL 6

Imagine you could take the CO2 coming out of a power plant's chimney and mix it with hydrogen made from electricity the grid can't use at peak times — and turn that into methanol, a chemical that's used everywhere from plastics to fuels. That's exactly what this project built. It's like a recycling plant for greenhouse gas: instead of dumping CO2 into the atmosphere, you feed it into a reactor and get a valuable liquid chemical out the other end. The bonus? It also helps stabilize the electricity grid by soaking up power when there's too much of it.

By the numbers

consortium partners involved

countries represented in consortium

60%

industry partner ratio in consortium

industry partners

main benefits: CO2 reduction, grid stabilization, methanol production

demo deliverables including real-scale reactor model

The business problem

What needed solving

Power plants and heavy industry face mounting costs from carbon emissions — through EU ETS allowances, carbon taxes, and tightening regulations. At the same time, renewable energy operators lose money when grid operators curtail their output during peak generation. These two costly problems exist side by side, with no simple way to turn either waste stream (CO2 or excess electricity) into revenue.

The solution

What was built

The project built operational laboratory-scale reactors for converting CO2 into methanol, developed a real-scale reactor model for industrial deployment, scaled up the catalyst synthesis needed for the process, and identified optimal operating conditions for high-CO2-content feeds from power plant exhaust.

Audience

Who needs this

Fossil fuel power plant operators facing rising carbon emission costsChemical companies that buy methanol and need greener supply chainsRenewable energy operators losing revenue from grid curtailmentBiomass energy producers looking to add value to their exhaust streamsIndustrial gas companies exploring carbon capture utilization technologies

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Power generation

enterprise

Target: Coal or natural gas power plant operators looking to reduce carbon penalties

If you are a fossil fuel power station facing rising carbon taxes and emission penalties — this project developed a process that captures your exhaust CO2 and converts it into methanol using surplus electricity. Instead of paying to emit, you produce a sellable chemical. The technology was designed for deployment directly at your exhaust location, with medium-scale, flexible operation that adapts to your output fluctuations.

Chemical manufacturing

enterprise

Target: Methanol producers or chemical companies seeking greener feedstock

If you are a chemical company that buys methanol as a platform chemical and faces pressure to decarbonize your supply chain — this project developed a catalyst and reactor process that produces methanol from CO2 instead of natural gas reforming. The consortium of 10 partners across 7 countries tested operational laboratory-scale reactors and scaled up catalyst synthesis, giving you a proven alternative route to the same product.

Renewable energy and grid services

mid-size

Target: Grid operators or renewable energy companies with curtailment problems

If you are a renewable energy operator losing revenue because the grid cannot absorb all the power you generate at peak times — this project built a way to convert that surplus electricity into stored chemical energy as methanol. Rather than curtailing wind or solar output, you run electrolysis to produce hydrogen and combine it with available CO2. The 3 main benefits: reduced emissions, grid stabilization, and a marketable end product.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement this CO2-to-methanol process?

The project data does not include specific cost figures or capital expenditure estimates. However, the technology is designed for medium-scale operation deployed at exhaust locations, suggesting modular investment rather than mega-plant costs. A detailed cost assessment would need to come from the consortium partners who developed the process economics.

Can this work at industrial scale, not just in the lab?

The project produced operational laboratory-scale reactors and a real-scale reactor model, along with optimized process conditions and scaled-up catalyst synthesis. This indicates the technology has been validated at lab scale with engineering models for full-scale deployment. The next step would be building a full demonstration unit based on the real-scale reactor model.

Who owns the intellectual property and can I license this?

The consortium of 10 partners across 7 countries — including 6 industry partners — developed this technology under an EU Innovation Action. IP rights would be shared among consortium members according to their grant agreement. Contact the coordinator I-DEALS Innovation & Technology Venturing Services (Spain) for licensing discussions.

What CO2 sources does this work with?

The process was designed for high-CO2-concentration streams from thermal power stations using fossil fuels. The objective also mentions it can work with existing biomass combustion and gasification system streams. This flexibility in feed source is one of the primary design advantages.

How does this compare to conventional methanol production?

Traditional methanol synthesis uses natural gas reforming and requires low CO2-to-CO ratios in the feed. This project specifically tackled the challenge of using high-CO2-content feeds — a fundamentally different feedstock. The principal technological challenge was developing a suitable catalyst and process for these conditions at economically viable operating parameters.

Is this technology ready to deploy now?

The project closed in June 2019 with lab-scale reactors operational and a real-scale reactor model completed. Based on available project data, the catalyst synthesis was scaled up and optimal process conditions were identified. The technology would likely need a pilot demonstration at an actual power station before full commercial deployment.

Does this help with regulatory compliance on emissions?

Yes — the technology directly mitigates exhaust CO2 and reduces greenhouse gas emissions, which is one of its 3 stated main benefits. For companies facing EU Emissions Trading System costs or national carbon taxes, converting CO2 into a sellable product turns a compliance cost into a potential revenue stream.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a strong, industry-led consortium with 10 partners across 7 countries (Belgium, Germany, Spain, Iceland, Italy, Slovenia, UK), and a 60% industry ratio — well above average for EU projects. The mix of 6 industry partners, 3 universities, and 1 research organization means the science was developed with commercial reality in mind from day one. The coordinator, I-DEALS Innovation & Technology Venturing Services from Spain, is a technology commercialization specialist (not a university), which signals the project was oriented toward bringing this to market. Having 2 SMEs in the mix adds agility. The geographic spread across major European industrial economies suggests the technology was designed for broad deployment, not a single national market.

I-DEALS INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY VENTURING SERVICES SLCoordinator · ES
NTT DATA SPAIN, SLthirdparty · ES
HYDROGENICS EUROPE NVparticipant · BE
KEMIJSKI INSTITUTparticipant · SI
UNIVERSITAET DUISBURG-ESSENparticipant · DE
RWE POWER AKTIENGESELLSCHAFTparticipant · DE
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI GENOVAparticipant · IT
CRI EHFparticipant · IS
MITSUBISHI POWER EUROPE GMBHparticipant · DE
CARDIFF UNIVERSITYparticipant · UK

How to reach the team

I-DEALS Innovation & Technology Venturing Services SL (Spain) — a technology commercialization firm, likely responsive to business inquiries about licensing or partnerships.

Order a report on this consortium See I-DEALS INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY VENTURING SERVICES SL profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to the MefCO2 team to discuss licensing their CO2-to-methanol catalyst and reactor technology? SciTransfer can arrange a direct meeting with the right consortium partner for your needs.

Order a report on this topic More in Energy & Climate