This IRENA webinar, presented by Chong-woo Kang with an introduction by Paul Durant, explores renewable methanol as a pathway to decarbonizing the chemical and liquid fuel sectors.
Key insights:
Current methanol demand has more than doubled to 100 million tonnes annually over the past decade, yet renewable sources supply less than 1% of global production.
Two main renewable production routes exist — biomethanol from organic waste, gasification, or pulp mill byproducts, and e-methanol produced by combining green hydrogen with captured CO2.
Biomethanol currently costs $327–$764 per tonne compared to $100–$250 for fossil-based methanol, while e-methanol ranges from $800–$1,600 per tonne but could fall to $450–$630 as green hydrogen costs decline.
A hybrid production approach combining both routes can lift carbon utilization efficiency to nearly 100%.
And shipping, chemicals, plastics, and road fuel cells are identified as the primary future demand sectors, requiring investment across the entire value chain rather than technology alone.