China’s focus on producing Green Methanol is part of the nation’s larger decarbonization vision. It utilizes wind power and direct capture from carbon to aid in that effort. Methanol is used as a fuel in many different ways including in the chemical processing industry and in the fuel for industrial shipping.

China’s enormous wind energy can be leveraged with the focus on producing Green Methanol

For years China has focused on Hydrogen as the “fuel of the future” and although Goldwind has made large investments and has committed to developing Green Methanol, the focus from Goldwind, the world’s largest wind turbine manufacturer, clearly shows a strong move from focusing on Hydrogen.

Goldwind has set a goal to manufacture 500,000 tons of Green Methanol per year and is moving into manufacturing Green Methanol. Methanol production is an exciting yet simple process. Ultra-powerful wind turbines utilize renewable energy to produce energy, CO2 is then captured from the atmosphere and stored for later use in the production of Green Methanol, and electrolysis is utilized to separate the components of H2O to include hydrogen and other component parts.

Green Methanol does not have the same issues with safety and costs associated with hydrogen fuel

Hydrogen fuel must be stored and there are safety and costs associated with storing hydrogen fuel. There are also very few, if any, existing infrastructures to support the storage and transportation of hydrogen fuel. On the other hand, Green Methanol is in liquid form under normal temperature and pressure conditions, making it safe and easy to store and transport. Additionally, Green Methanol can operate within existing fuel systems, which will help in the decarbonization of the maritime shipping industry. As such, waiting for hydrogen infrastructure development will be a lengthy process.

Affordability and decarbonizing options

Methanol is less expensive and more abundant than most other decarbonizing options. That is why Goldwind chose to focus in this area. The potential for decarbonization for China’s Chemical Industry is substantial. The shipping networks are global in nature. Through Goldwind’s Dieppe initiative, which aims to decarbonize both shipping and Methanol production, the vision appears much more attainable. An estimated 500,000 tons of Green Methanol is to be produced to be used in maritime shipping. The Green Methanol is to be produced by the wind farms Goldwind is estimating to develop in resource rich areas around the globe.

Designed for power and efficiency for all consumers

Turbines are being designed to capture energy efficiently. Operational turbines capable of functioning and sustaining load at a 6m/s wind speed (modern since 2020) are preferred. Highly controlled DAC systems capture CO2 from the atmosphere; renewable energy is utilized to reduce the carbon footprint to zero. The methanol produced through this method is highly innovative and energy efficient relative to all of the other carbon-capturing systems available today.

Will producing green methanol affect the environment?

Produce 500,000 tons of Green Methanol each year also represents reducing millions of tons of CO₂ emissions. This supports China’s commitment to peaking emissions before 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. The project also establishes China as a leader in economical production of chemicals from renewable energy sources, particularly in the new field of clean energy technologies. Rather than a merely technological decision, China has strategically chosen Green Methanol over hydrogen.

China is creating usable, scalable, and green fuel by “mining” carbon from the air and utilizing wind power. This strategy may change the world’s priorities for energy. The image of Goldwind’s turbines turning across China’s windy plains represent the beginning of a new era. It is the era where renewable energy is not just generating electricity, but making it. It is taking the air and wind to create the building blocks of a renewable economy.

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