From sewage to marine fuel: Carbon neutral methanol facility opens at wastewater site

A German consortium consisting of the Institute for Micro Process Engineering and the Institute for Automation and Applied Informatics at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), the KIT spin-off ICODOS and the Waste Water Department of the City of Mannheim has began operation of a demonstration plant that uses wastewater as a resource for the production of carbon neutral methanol, a future marine fuel.

As explained, the ‘Mannheim 001’ demonstration plant uses a patented process to convert biogas extracted from wastewater into carbon neutral methanol. Specifically, the biogas originating from the sewage treatment plant is purified, and then the CO2 it contains reacts with green hydrogen to produce methanol.

Vidal Vazquez, a Co-Founder of ICODOS, said: “With our technology, we can extract a high-quality energy carrier from an existing source. Sewage plants could produce several million tonnes of renewable methanol per year in Germany alone. Our current project shows the previously untapped potential of sewage plants as a core element of sustainable fuel production.”

To note, ICODOS is reportedly already in discussions with other sewage plant operators about building further production systems.

Volker Wissing, Germany’s Federal Minister for Digital and Transport, stated: “We need to keep all of our technology options open in order to achieve our climate objectives. In addition to electrification and hydrogen propulsion, we need climate-friendly fuels for marine shipping in particular, and Germany should play a leading role in their research and development. That will be a growth market in the future. This is also about making our country independent from energy imports. Mannheim 001 shows how economic efficiency and climate action can go hand in hand. This project can serve as an example for many other locations in Germany and Europe.”

Thomas Hirth, KIT’s Vice President for Transfer and International Affairs, claimed: “This new facility is a striking demonstration of how research and entrepreneurship can lead to practical solutions for the successful transformation of our economy. The biogas it produces during wastewater treatment is a valuable resource. This is an innovative approach that shows how available resources can be used in a smart and climate-friendly way.”

Christian Specht, Mannheim’s Mayor, stressed: “As a lighthouse project, Mannheim 001 is further proof that climate action and industrial growth can go hand in hand with new technologies. With support from Mannheim’s climate fund and in close cooperation with our waste water department, it’s showing how a start-up from our Mafinex Technology Center can produce green fuel for the shipping industry. That’s another innovation made in Mannheim that we can be proud of.”