Methanol as an solar container medium

How efficient is methanol storage compared to hydrogen storage?

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Can photothermal CO2 hydrogenation produce methanol?

Photothermal CO 2 hydrogenation is a promising route to produce methanol as a sustainable liquid solar fuel. However, most existing catalysts require a combination of solar irradiation and additional heat input to achieve a satisfactory reaction rate.

What is the methanol selectivity of a photothermal catalyst?

Under a mild pressure of 8 bar, our oCB/CZA catalyst shows a methanol selectivity of 64.7% with a superior production rate of 4.91 mmol·g cza−1 ·h −1, at least one order of magnitude higher than other photothermal catalysts solely driven by light. This work demonstrates a photothermal catalyst design strategy for liquid solar fuel production.

How efficient is methanol storage compared to hydrogen storage?

The round-trip efficiency for hydrogen storage at 38% is higher than for methanol storage with carbon cycling at 35%. Focusing on the results for Germany, the Allam cycle covers just 9.2% of electricity demand.

Can methanol be stored underground?

Carbon dioxide can be captured from Allam cycle turbines burning methanol and cycled back into methanol synthesis. Methanol storage shows significant cost advantages compared to hydrogen at locations where there are no geological salt deposits for underground hydrogen storage.

Can photothermal catalysts improve methanol production without external heat?

For the few that can be driven solely by light, their reaction rates are one order of magnitude lower. We develop a photothermal catalyst with multilevel interfaces that achieves improved methanol production from photothermal CO 2 hydrogenation without external heat.

How methanol can be stored for multiple days?

26. 27. Energy storage for multiple days can help wind and solar supply reliable power. Synthesizing methanol from carbon dioxide and electrolytic hydrogen provides such ultra-long-duration storage in liquid form. Carbon dioxide can be captured from Allam cycle turbines burning methanol and cycled back into methanol synthesis.