MAJOR MILESTONE REACHED IN THE FRESME PROJECT - FIRST METHANOL PRODUCED FROM RESIDUAL STEEL GAS

CRI is pleased to announce that the first production of methanol has been achieved at industrial scale using blast furnace gas from the SSAB steel mill in Lulea, Sweden. This is a major milestone in the collaborative research and development project FReSMe, funded by the EU‘s Horizon 2020 research program.

This main project objective - turning residual steel mill gases into methanol - was reached by deploying novel gas separation and conversion technologies, including CRI‘s Emissions-to-Liquids (ETL) technology. The FReSMe project combines and improves upon technologies developed and demonstrated in two previous EU funded projects, MefCO₂ and Stepwise.

The residual blast furnace gas resulting from SSAB’s steel production process is extracted and separated into CO₂ and H₂ gas streams using a process called sorption enhanced water-gas shift technology (STEPWISE separation technology) as well as membrane gas separation technology. The energy rich hydrogen can be reacted with CO₂ to form methanol using CRI’s proven ETL process. Due to the balance of carbon and hydrogen in the residual gas stream, the process results in a surplus of CO₂ that is ready for sequestration. Alternatively, the surplus CO₂ can also be used to increase methanol production using electrolytically generated hydrogen.

For CRI, the project preparation has involved the transportation of the methanol conversion module with 1 tonnes per day production capacity from its original location in Germany to the Swerim site in Lulea. Modifications, upgrades, integration and testing of the equipment have been ongoing prior to the initial test campaign. The initial testing now underway involving project partners Swerim and TNO is currently focusing on the optimization of gas separation membranes for CO₂ and H₂ and ramping up methanol production. Subsequently, three test campaigns will be conducted using different combinations of gas sourcing and operational conditions. Hydrogen that is both produced by water electrolysis as well as separated from the blast furnace gas will be tested separately and together in combination with CO₂. The test campaign is expected to extend until the end of 2020.

During the first half of next year the resulting green methanol will be further processed and supplied as fuel to operate the Stena Germanica ferry on its route between Gothenburg and Kiel.

The project is expected to be completed by mid-2021.

Members of CRI’s technical services team Jose, Daníel, Jón Marz and Olav standing in front of the CRI ETL modules at the Swerim facility in Lulea.