Methanol Institute lays out the case for methanol fuel

The Energy Tribune ran an article by John Lynn of the Methanol Institute, which outlines that groups vision for the prospects and opportunities with methanol fuels. Methanol has been a controversial fuel option due to concerns over efficiency and safety, but methanol has been increasingly used in, for example, China.

The Methanol Institute article gives an excellent introduction to the opportunities, as seen from the industry point of view.

“Methanol can be produced from a wide variety of feedstocks, including natural gas, coal, biomass, and even atmospheric carbon dioxide,” writes Lynn. “On a global basis, methanol consumption in 2008 was approximately 45 million metric tons or nearly 15 billion gallons. This is roughly equivalent to global fuel ethanol demand.”

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