He green methanol It is less polluting than its fossil-based analogue, has multiple applications and can be extracted directly from biomass. Or by hydrogenation of carbon dioxide. That is, the molecules of carbon dioxide captured directly from the atmosphere, they undergo a chemical reaction. And they are combined with hydrogen obtained from water through a process called electrolysis. In this case carried out on the basis of renewable energy sources. This makes production more sustainable. By not needing fossil sources, as is the case with traditional gas, which comes from natural gas.
Green methanol: friendly to the environment
Although the production of green methanol It is more environmentally friendly, the production cost is still higher than the traditional one. The experts point out in the article ‘Social life cycle assessment of green methanol and benchmarking against conventional fossil methanol’, published in the journal Science of The Total Environment, that it is an alternative with great potential to benefit the chemical industry and other sectors decarbonization.
Moreover, they emphasize the versatility in their use green methanol as a raw material, fuel or energy vector. They also emphasize the many possibilities it offers because it is liquid at room temperature. This way it can be easily stored and transported. Yet they emphasize the need to continue improving their production to achieve greater profitability in all aspects.
Social indicators
Among the social indicators analyzed in the life cycle of the green methanol These include assessing fair wages, whether there is forced labor, discrimination against women, healthcare expenditure, promoting responsibility and contribution to local economic development.
In the study, experts analyzed the social impact on the entire car production process green methanol, from the production of the energy required in the technology used or in the materials of the wind turbines, inverters and converters, necessary for the generation of wind energy. At the same time, they compared it to the traditional footprint.
Increase in jobs
The research results provide an unfavorable performance of renewable methanol under negative social indicators. This is fundamentally due to the fact that the supply chain for the production of this chemical is more complex, which poses greater risks in activities taking place in other countries.
“Nevertheless, the production of green methanol It would be better than the conventional in terms of its contribution to local economic development, because it would benefit from the increase in working hours needed for production and therefore from the increase in employment,” said Ángel Galán, author of the article.
A complex supply chain
The researchers assumed a hypothetical situation of installing a green methanol in the United States, where carbon dioxide is captured directly from the atmosphere through chemical reactions and hydrogen is obtained through the electrolysis of water using electricity from energy sources. renewable energy of a wind farm.
The supply chain to meet the needs of the process would be complex. It would include the participation of countries such as China, Mexico, Canada or Taiwan, where important activities would take place and where some of the materials needed for its production come from.
China and other Asian countries
For example, experts have evaluated the social risk posed by the use of wind turbines and other equipment within the industry’s production chain green methanol. China and other Asian countries are the main suppliers of electrical components such as inverters, generators and semiconductors.
“In addition, it dominates the market for rare earth metals such as neodymium and dysprosium, fundamental components of wind turbines, and therefore it is necessary to import their minerals. This implies that the impact will be determined by the social and labor conditions in this country, which are less favorable on some of the criteria examined,” the researcher adds.
Implications
That is, researchers do not rely solely on the study of social impact at the local level where productive activity takes place green methanol takes place, but transcendence involves the study of the entire value chain of the process life cycle. According to the results obtained, there is a need for improvements to achieve greater overall efficiency of the system.
In concrete terms, they propose a simplification through the use of alternative sources of carbon dioxide and hydrogen. For example, by requiring less energy and equipment or by improving conditions in the supplying countries. Or if that doesn’t work, the search for new suppliers green methanol in places and sectors without risk levels, i.e. with high-quality social and work situations.