High-pressure electrified steam methane reforming for methanol synthesis

Power-to-X processes play a crucial role in converting excess renewable energy into chemical bonds. While electrochemical processes significantly escalate energy demand, directly electrified thermochemical processes, such as electrically heated methane reforming (e-SMR), manage to minimize renewable energy requirements and achieve substantial decarbonization. The e-SMR process exhibits the potential to reduce overall CO2 production from 0.35 to 0.16 tons of CO2 per ton of methanol. This not only contributes to environmental sustainability but also presents an opportunity for considerable cost savings, potentially enabling the recovery of the total capital investment (Capex) with a significant profit margin. However, the economic viability of such a process is subject to external influences like political decisions and market dynamics. Presently, the feasibility of e-SMR is impacted by high electricity prices. Nevertheless, with advancements in renewable energy sources leading to declining electricity costs, coupled with expected rises in natural gas and CO2 emission prices, investments in this alternative syngas production method are poised to become more appealing. Furthermore, the validation of the innovative steam methane reformer in a bench scale setup has showcased impressive performance in terms of temperature approach to equilibrium and methane conversion. This underscores the feasibility of implementing this reactor in a methanol plant.