eMERALD™ CO₂ to methanol process

Methanol can be made by direct hydrogenation of carbon dioxide with renewable hydrogen. This production route mitigates the amount of CO₂ released into the atmosphere, helps combat global warming and provides an attractive, low-carbon alternative to conventional transportation fuels. 

Renewable methanol has the potential to be a key enabler in the decarbonisation of the shipping industry. It is bio-degradable, its combustion releases fewer harmful emissions than traditional fuels and it can be safely handled within the existing infrastructure. It is also an intermediate in the production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and bio-gasoline, providing solutions for hard to decarbonise sectors in air and road transport.

JM’s e-methanol and biomethanol processes have the potential to deliver between 35-39% reduction in global warming potential compared to an SMR benchmark using the IPCC GWP100 methodology, and the potential of up to 185% reduction for biomethanol and 143% for e-methanol versus the same SMR benchmark when using GWP100 (incl. CO2 uptake). For further details, please see our Methanol technology lifecycle analysis page.
 

Johnson Matthey has been commercialising its CO₂ to methanol technology since 2011. Our reliable and low-risk process, known as eMERALD™, has been optimised to achieve close to 100% hydrogen and carbon uptake to fully utilise these highly valuable feedstocks, whilst also minimising the overall energy requirements and operating costs. 

As the CO₂ to methanol reaction results in a much higher level of water formation compared to traditional methods, it is crucial to use a highly robust catalyst that can withstand the corrosive, aqueous environment to maintain high activity and throughput. Our superior-quality catalyst with enhanced hydrothermal stability has been developed to achieve sustained, high methanol productivity over a significantly longer lifetime, maximising profitability for our clients.