Environmental and economic analysis of methanol production process via biomass gasification

We have researched and simulated the BTL (biomass to liquid process) in which woody biomass is converted to transportation liquid fuels. In the present study, methanol (MeOH) was considered as a liquid fuel. The BTL-MeOH was designed and the environmental and economic analysis of the process was performed from the viewpoint of CO2 emission and capital and operating costs. A case study focusing on heat and power resources was conducted. The result revealed that the process required an independent case of heat and power for CO2 reduction; however, the cost of this was high due to the cogeneration with a steam turbine. Therefore, the introduction of a low-cost cogeneration, e.g., with a gas turbine, was required for commercialization.