Methanol as a Low-Cost Alternative Fuel for the Reduction of Emissions

Over the past years, there has been a dramatic increase in the regulatory requirements for low emissions from both new and existing utility boilers and gas turbines. Traditional methods of reducing NOx emissions, such as modification of the firing system and/or post-combustion treatment of the flue gas to remove NOx are very expensive. Hence, before the implementation of these expensive measures for emission reduction, it is desirable to evaluate all other low-cost alternatives. Fuel properties have a major influence on NOx formation during combustion. One of the attractive alternative fuels for combustion in utility boilers, gas turbines, and engines may be methanol. Existing experience has shown that with minor system modifications, methanol can easily be used as an alternative fuel that significantly decreases NOx and other harmful emissions. Besides that, methanol may be produced from CO₂ which will allow reducing CO₂ emission by extracting it from the flue gas flow of conventional utilities for methanol production and then further into clean electricity generation. On top of that, the additional advantage of methanol is it is a universal chemical and a fuel feedstock material, that is useful as both a chemical energy storage material and a substituting fossil raw material. Using methanol has become an important solution for emissions compliance to regulations due to its unique constituents and combustion characteristics. Methanol may be referred to as an enviro fuel. The clean burning characteristics of methanol are expected to lead to clean boiler pressure parts or turbine blades thus lowering maintenance compared to any other fuel oil burning. The experience gained by Israel Electric Corporation and Dor Chemicals with methanol burning and the usage of synthetic methanol to produce clean storage energy will be presented in this chapter.