- What is Methanol Economy? - from Nobel Laureate, George Olah
- How do you make Renewable Methanol?
- How is methanol used?
- Why do we need to produce Renewable Methanol?
- How is methanol different from ethanol?
- How close is CRI to commercialization?
- Why is Iceland the first market?
- Is methanol safe?
- Click here to learn more about methanol
What is Methanol Economy? 
The Methanol Economy is recycling carbon dioxide into methanol to produce fuels and synthetic hydrocarbons to replace diminishing fossil
fuel resources and to mitigate global warmimg. Nobel Prize Laureate, George Olah tells us how to do it
here.
How do you make Renewable Methanol?
Renewable Methanol (RM) is derived from renewable energy of geothermal wells, wind, solar or hydroelectricity. It is distinctive from methanol which is
made from fossil based sources. The production of Renewable Methanol is clean with only water as the byproduct. Click here to learn more about CRI process.
How is methanol used?
Daily use: Methanol is essential in our lives every day. You can find Methanol in the silicone that goes into your shampoo, the PET which makes your plastic bottle of water.
You can also find methanol in many of the components of the car and possibly the fuel you used in it.
Fuel use: Methanol can be blended in to gasoline at low percentages as per EU regulations. Higher blends of methanol and gasoline were tested in California in 90's.
It costs approximately 150-500 USD to convert an ordinary car to run on 85% methanol gasoline blend. Methanol can be used to produce biodiesel, a growing market in both North America and Europe.
Why do we need to produce Renewable Methanol?
European regulations require increasing percentages of renewable fuel to be blended into gasoline. In 2005 the EU put
mandatory targets in place limiting the emission of greenhouse gases for all EU countries. The use of Renewable Methanol would contribute to reducing the dependence on
fossil fuel and to decreasing the emissions of carbon dioxide from industrial processes.
In 2005 the EU put mandatory targets in place limiting the emission of greenhouse gases for all EU countries. These targets were combined with
a cap and trade system, the European Trading Scheme (ETS) for the trading of carbon emission
credits. The ETS is consistent with, but independent of, the Kyoto Protocol. As burnnig coal becomes increasingly expensive, European heavy industry will consider
cleaner fuels and also reduce CO2 from emissions. RM produced by CRI from CO2 and renewable resources would have the further
advantage of decreasing Europe's dependence on fossil fuel and also reduce emissions to meet the Kyoto targets.
How is methanol different from ethanol?
Methanol and ethanol are both alcohols with similar properties. Alcohols are used in blending with gasoline. Ethanol derives from land use and competes with
food production. Renewable Methanol uses waste energy and carbon dioxide from industrial emissions as feedstock.
How close is CRI to commercialization?
CRI has been operating its Pilot Scale Plant in Reykjavik, Iceland since August 2007. CRI will complete its Industrial Scale Plant
at end of 2010. Click here to learn more about our facilities.
Why is Iceland the first market?
Iceland has a high concentration of volcanoes with abundant geothermal and hydro energy. It pursues clean environmental policy and it has one of the highest ratio of cost of fuel to electricity in the world.
Is methanol safe?
As with many other fuels, methanol can be highly toxic and should never be taken orally. However, it should be noted that
the human body can metabolize and eliminate low concentrations of methanol with no ill effects. Methanol is present in many cooked vegetables,
and the artificial sweetener in diet soft drinks breaks down into methanol during digestion. Methanol becomes poisonous only when it overwhelms
the body's capacity to remove it. Effective antidotes to methanol poisoning are readily
available and can be administered during this interim period.