Illinois ethanol plant testing alternative to CO2 pipelines

An Illinois ethanol plant is exploring a new way to capture and repurpose carbon.

Bill Howell is General Manager for Adkins Energy in Lena. He tells Brownfield they have partnered with CapCO2 Solutions on a pilot project to collect CO2 from the plant and turn it into a renewable fuel called green methanol.

“The products coming off will be hydrogen gas and oxygen, and we’re then taking the waste CO2 coming off the firms, combining those two and basically making clean methanol. And that methanol can then go into ships, aviation fuel and other chemicals.”

He says demand for green methanol is growing as the shipping and aviation industries turn to cleaner fuel sources.

Howell says this is different than CO2 pipeline proposals because it will convert the CO2 into a new product and take place on site.

“We’re not requiring any land or right of ways for a pipeline. We’re using the land we currently have and co-locating the methanol process with the ethanol plants.”

He says this should help lower their carbon intensity score while turning two raw materials into a low carbon fuel. Howell says it should also provide incentive to increase capacity, which broadens the market for corn farmers.

Howell says they will complete an economic study before starting the pilot project, hopefully in the next 9 to 12 months.