China has become a global leader in electric vehicles as the government tries to meet ambitious carbon emissions targets, aiming to peak carbon emissions by 2030 and become carbon neutral by 2060, according to a recent article in MIT Technology Review. But electric cars are not the only alternative to the greener cars China is pursuing.
The article noted that on Sept. 16, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said it would "speed up the promotion of methanol-fueled vehicles" and "explore a new model of 'green methanol + methanol-fueled vehicles.'" The next day, Zhang Jianhua, head of China's National Energy Administration, said that China was "actively exploring new ways and approaches to replace fossil energy, such as green hydrogen, methanol and ammonia energy".
China is "actively exploring new ways and approaches to replace fossil energy such as green hydrogen, methanol and ammonia energy".
Photograph: MIT Technology Review
According to Leslie Blumberg, principal research engineer at MIT's Center for Plasma Science and Fusion, methanol engines are comparable in efficiency to diesel engines and "don't have the diesel emissions problem."
China has been discussing and piloting methanol fuel for a decade as a way to transform the auto industry into one that is less polluting and less dependent on fossil fuels in the future, the article said. Now, a series of moves by the Chinese government, along with other efforts last year to draft national standards for methanol-fueled vehicles and support related industries, are another sign that China is taking alternative fuels more seriously. As China's carmakers search for the next industry-changing innovation, methanol is finally catching the public's attention as, like electric cars, it could be both a commercial success and a boost to the country's climate technology ambitions.
China leads the world in testing methanol fuel
Today, about 60 percent of the world's methanol is produced and used in China, making the country a global leader in this regard, the article said.
China began a trial of methanol-powered cars in 2012, encouraging carmakers to develop models to operate in several cities while collecting data on their economic and environmental impact over the next six years. The conclusion is that methanol cars are 21% more efficient than gasoline cars, while reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 26%.
After the pilot phase, the Chinese government issued a policy in 2019 affirming support for methanol fuel, especially in public transport, taxis and official vehicles.
Zhao Kai, chief representative of the Global Methanol Industry Association in China, said methanol is also an attractive option for long-distance heavy vehicles such as trucks. Today's electric trucks require large batteries, making them much cheaper than traditional trucks. But because the engines are similar, methanol trucks can cost about the same as conventional trucks.
Traditionally, methanol is produced from fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas, but it can also be made from renewable resources such as agricultural waste. A team at the University of Southern California has even managed to produce methanol efficiently with carbon dioxide captured from the atmosphere, meaning that, at least in theory, methanol fuel and other chemicals derived from it could be produced carbon-negative.
Methanol fuel could help China become carbon neutral sooner
To become carbon neutral by 2060, as China has promised, the country cannot put all its eggs in one basket, such as electric vehicles, the article said. Widespread use of methanol fuel and cleaner production of methanol could enable China to reach its goal sooner.
Currently, the leading company using carbon dioxide to produce methanol is Carbon Cycle International (CRI) from Iceland. Geely, a large domestic carmaker, has been involved in methanol-powered cars since 2005 and has launched several new models this year. Geely invested in CRI in 2015, and together they have built the world's largest carbon dioxide fuel plant in China. When operational, it can recover 160,000 tons of carbon dioxide emitted by steel plants every year.
The potential for cleaner production is what makes methanol an ideal fuel. It is not only a more efficient way to use energy, but also a way to remove existing carbon dioxide from the air.
Besides China, some other countries, such as Germany and Denmark, are also exploring the potential of methanol fuel, the article said. Still, China is at least one step ahead of the rest.