Within Work Package 3 – Development of Technologies for Methanol Production, the University of Antwerp and partners are pioneering innovative pathways to produce methanol using renewable hydrogen and captured CO₂. This work aims to create small-scale, flexible reactor systems capable of operating efficiently under variable renewable energy conditions, a key step toward achieving carbon-neutral fuel production.
A core focus of the current research is plasma-catalytic CO₂ hydrogenation. This emerging approach uses plasma to activate CO₂ and hydrogen molecules, enabling chemical reactions under milder conditions compared to conventional catalytic methods. However, achieving selective methanol formation has proven challenging.
Despite promising results reported in literature, University of Antwerp’s experimental work revealed that reproducing those high methanol yields is not straightforward. The delicate balance between gas activation in the plasma and directing reactions along the desired chemical pathways often leads to competing side reactions, such as carbon monoxide formation.
Nevertheless, the team’s recent optimisations have yielded measurable amounts of methanol, marking an encouraging step forward. Building on this progress, the researchers are now fine-tuning both reactor design and catalyst composition to enhance methanol yields and deepen understanding of how plasma and catalysis can best work together.
This research is a critical part of ALCHEMHY’s mission to develop electrified, zero-emission production routes for ammonia and methanol, advancing Europe’s transition toward a sustainable hydrogen economy.