Andritz has received an order from Södra, Sweden, to supply a bio-methanol cleaning and purification plant for Södra’s pulp mill in Mönsterås.
The bio-methanol treatment plant supplied by ANDRITZ is designed to produce 5,000 tons of bio-methanol per year. The plant is a key part of a new process producing sustainable bio-methanol from renewable raw material. Bio-methanol can be used in shipping, for example, as a stand-alone fuel, as well as for the production of biodiesel (RME), as an additive in petrol, or as a raw material in the chemical industry. The methanol produced is compliant with the IMPCA Reference Specifications for merchantable methanol. Start-up of the plant is scheduled for the third quarter of 2019.
The global methanol production is in the order of 80 million tons per year and is generated mostly from fossil raw materials. In the chemical wood pulping process, methanol is formed as a by-product that contains many impurities. This raw methanol is purified to a merchantable bio-methanol, which is chemically identical to fossil-based methanol. The bio-methanol generated contributes towards reducing the amount of fossil greenhouse gas emissions.
The current target of the European Union is to have 10% of the transport fuel of every EU country coming from renewable sources, such as biofuels, by 2020. The new EU Renewable Energy Directive 2 currently in preparation will significantly increase the share of advanced biofuels by 2030. “If Sweden is to achieve the fossil-free climate targets, there must be viable alternatives to the fossil-fuel products that are currently available. The investment in the new bio-methanol cleaning and purification plant contributes towards reaching this target. It is also a major part of Södra’s own strategy to be totally fossil-free by 2030,” said Henrik Brodin, Business Development Manager Energy of Södra.
“We are pleased to help Södra in achieving their sustainablilty targets with our innovative products and technologies. This is further proof of our excellent cooperation and partnership with Södra,” says Kari Tuominen, President and CEO of ANDRITZ Oy, Finland.
