This study investigates an integrated approach in which CO captured from waste-to-energy (WtE) facility flue gases is exploited to produce methanol (CHOH), via a catalytic reaction with H, and liquid CO for industrial applications. The integrated system is fully powered by energy from WtE, including the facility for alkaline electrolysis for hydrogen production. The amount of energy necessary for producing 1 tonne of CHOH was 10.2 MWh, which can be generated by the combustion of approximately 25 tonne of waste in a typical European WtE. Under these conditions, 18.1 tonnes of liquid CO can also be recovered. Compared to the conventional production of CHOH, the proposed system achieves a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, about 492.3 kg COeq per tonne of CHOH. Other environmental impacts, such as particulate matter, acidification, and freshwater ecotoxicity, were found to be quite similar between the two scenarios. Furthermore, the EU27 WtE systems have the potential to meet about 22 % of the current methanol demand in the area significantly contributing to the EU’s goals for a circular and carbon–neutral economy.

中文翻译：

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评估垃圾发电设施中的甲醇和液态二氧化碳回收：生命周期评估视角


本研究研究了一种综合方法，利用从废物发电 (WtE) 设施烟气中捕获的 CO，通过与 H 和液态 CO 的催化反应来生产甲醇 (CHOH)，用于工业应用。该集成系统完全由 WtE 能源提供动力，包括用于制氢的碱性电解设施。生产 1 吨 CHOH 所需的能量为 10.2 MWh，可以通过在典型的欧洲 WtE 中燃烧约 25 吨废物来产生。在这些条件下，还可以回收18.1吨液态二氧化碳。与传统的 CHOH 生产相比，该系统可显着减少温室气体排放，每吨 CHOH 排放约 492.3 kg COeq。发现这两种情景之间的其他环境影响非常相似，例如颗粒物、酸化和淡水生态毒性。此外，EU27 WtE 系统有潜力满足该地区目前约 22% 的甲醇需求，为欧盟循环经济和碳中和经济的目标做出重大贡献。