A methanol mini-plant and its digital twin were developed to study flexible feedstocks, reactant recycling, and product condensation. Experimental results show good agreement with simulations, allowing systematic investigation of process parameters. Tests with biomass-derived syngas demonstrated the feasibility of industrial CO _x sources.

Abstract

The utilization of CO₂ is becoming increasingly important for replacing fossil resources in the chemical industry. Methanol synthesis from CO₂ and H₂ can play a key role in providing a renewable base chemical. To develop full process concepts, a methanol mini-plant was set up, accompanied by a digital twin to investigate flexible feedstocks and the recycling of unconverted reactants, including product condensation. Experimental results showed good agreement with the digital twin, using recent kinetic models enabling systematic investigation of process parameters and their influence on in-loop gas composition to identify optimal reaction and feed gas conditions. Experiments with syngas from biomass gasification were conducted to assess the feasibility of industrially relevant CO _x sources.