WasteFuel and ITC to build green methanol plant in Türkiye

US-based biofuels firm WasteFuel and Turkish integrated waste management company ITC have partnered to build a green methanol biorefinery in Ankara, Türkiye.

PHOTO: Getty Images

Bio-methanol, or green methanol, is produced after biogas is refurbished into biomethane. The biomethane is then introduced in a ‘gas grid’, after which the green methanol comes out on a “mass-balance basis”. Biogas is produced from animal waste and manure.

The biorefinery will use biogas derived from anaerobic digestion and landfill gas collection, the biofuels maker said. Once operational, the produced green methanol will be intended for the global maritime market.

The project is currently in the front-end engineering design (FEED) stage, WasteFuel said. A final investment decision (FID) is expected in early 2026, the company added.

WasteFuel has not disclosed the expected annual green methanol production capacity for the plant.

Growing interest in methanol

Several shipping companies are investing in methanol-capable ships to include methanol in their future fuel mix. This will boost demand for green methanol as a bunker fuel in the coming years.

Green methanol can significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to conventional marine fuels. It can also be stored in its liquid state at room temperature without additional facilities, unlike LNG.

The International Chamber of Shipping estimates maritime demand for methanol will grow to 10 million mt/year by 2027, based on the methanol orderbook as of December 2023. With vessel orders steadily rising, this estimated figure could grow higher in the coming years.

“The use of green methanol as a marine fuel can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90%, enabling sea freight companies to expand their low-carbon shipping solutions,” WasteFuel said.

By Aparupa Mazumder

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