Clariant catalysts support Europe-first waste-to-methanol plant
Clariant and Repsol will collaborate on Ecoplanta – a pioneering methanol plant in El Morell near Tarragona, Spain, which convert municipal waste into renewable methanol.
Clariant’s highly active MegaMax 900 methanol synthesis catalyst.
As the first of its kind facility in Europe, Ecoplanta will operate using Enerkem’s advanced waste gasification process, supported by Clariant’s syngas purification catalysts and its highly active MegaMax methanol synthesis catalysts. Scheduled for completion in 2029, the plant will use 400,000 tons of non-recyclable solid municipal waste annually to produce 240,000 tons of methanol.
Clariant’s catalytic technologies are perfectly suited to the Ecoplanta process. After gasification of municipal waste, the trap and guard catalysts will be used to efficiently remove all types of impurities, such as metals, halogens, and sulfur species. The purified syngas will then be converted to methanol using the MegaMax series catalysts. Due to its high activity, the catalyst can optimize methanol yield while significantly reducing operating costs.
MegaMax also offers enhanced selectivity, which greatly reduces the formation of by-products and thus improves the sustainability and economics of bio-methanol production.
Renewable methanol offers a highly adaptable pathway to support decarbonization across a broad range of industries. It can be utilized as a drop-in fuel for maritime and road transportation and as a feedstock for chemical and sustainable aviation fuel production.
