Perstorp Plans to Reduce Carbon Emissions

Perstorp, a global leader in the specialty chemicals market, has developed a production concept to generate methanol from waste streams and hydrogen from electrolysis. The AIR Project will build the first-of-its-kind, large-scale commercial Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) unit to produce sustainable methanol. The methanol facility will be unique in that it will comprise a combined CCU and gasification process where CO2, residue streams, renewable hydrogen and biomethane will be converted to methanol. Perstorp plans to carry this out in collaboration with Fortum, Uniper and Nature Energy. Perstorp President and CEO Jan Secher said: "This innovation will optimize the use of existing technologies while creating something entirely new, and at the same time demonstrate carbon capture and utilization by using captured CO2 as a raw material. This will be a concrete example of the transition to a circular economy and how significant a reduction in CO2 emissions can be achieved through the use of existing resources and closed loops. This will be an important step in reaching our goal of becoming Finite Material Neutral."   Methanol is one of the most important raw materials for the chemical industry. The AIR Project aims to substitute all 200,000 tonnes of fossil methanol that Perstorp uses annually as raw material for chemical products in Europe. The project will support companies in value chains in their efforts towards renewable / circular materials, reduced carbon footprints and their ability to offer sustainable, affordable products. Upon completion, Project AIR will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 500,000 tonnes per year. The target is to begin sustainable methanol production in 2025.   Subject to securing necessary financing, Perstorp plans to build a methanol plant in Stenungsund, Sweden, use its own CO2 and residue streams, and substitute all fossil methanol used in its European production. Fortum and Uniper plan to supply renewable hydrogen from a new electrolysis facility. Nature Energy, one of the world's largest biogas producers, will seek to supply biogas to the AIR Project.