Engineering Contracts Awarded for Solar Methanol Plant in Port Augusta

Wedoany.com Report-Oct 17, Fichtner’s role in the project builds off the company’s recent report that highlighted using CSP in green fuels production can potentially reduce costs by up to 40%, Vast said, claiming that SM1 is a “first-of-its-kind” project that can demonstrate this potential and catalyze Australia’s green fuels industry and a global pipeline of projects.

According to Vast, a key part of Fichtner’s work will involve integrating proven technologies to produce green methanol:

Leilac calcination plant from technology company Calix to capture unavoidable process carbon dioxide produced in the making of cement and lime.

Methanol plant, with bse Methanol acting as the process provider and original equipment manufacturer (OEM). To note, the e-fuels company has developed the FlexMethanol modules which are said to enable the economic conversion of energy and carbon dioxide from flue gas into a chemical energy store by means of modular and decentralized production units.

Electrolysis plant to produce hydrogen.

Part of the Port Augusta Green Energy Hub in South Australia, SM1 is expected to have the capacity to produce 7,500 tonnes of green methanol each year and will be supplied with base load clean and renewable heat from Vast’s 30 MW / 240 MWh concentrated solar thermal power (CSP) plant.

As per Vast, methanol is one of the most versatile hydrogen derivatives and, if produced using clean energy, it has the potential to decarbonize shipping and aviation fuels.