Renewable methanol-based synthetic multifuel production.

LEARN ABOUT THE CONCEPT

A novel three-step process that transforms green methanol into multiple renewable fuels with built-in thermochemical energy storage, delivering fuels, heat and power from intermittent renewable energy sources.

Partners

Countries

Renewable fuels

Months

Work packages

Producing renewable fuels, heat and power with energy storage capacity, providing flexibility for integrating renewables in continuous fuel production

From CO₂ to synthetic fuels

A novel three-step renewable synthetic fuel chain:

1.

Green methanol synthesis from captured CO₂ and
renewable hydrogen.

2.

Methanol-to-syngas conversion, storing renewable energy as thermochemical heat.

3.

Syngas transformation into methane or dimethyl ether (DME).

Why

It is a scalable, flexible approach to producing four renewable fuels (green methanol, syngas, methane and DME) with built-in energy storage capacity. The TCES system decouples fuel production from the intermittency of renewable energy, while the multi-product design allows integration into refineries, chemical industries, transport and power generation , using existing infrastructure. The concept combines fuel synthesis, high-temperature heat and power in a single tri-generation system.

Who

A multidisciplinary consortium of 10 partners across 3 countries (Spain, Greece, Germany), with expertise in chemistry (catalysis, fuel synthesis), energy technologies (turbomachinery, heat exchange, thermochemical storage, CO₂ capture) and process engineering. The consortium includes leading universities, major R&D centres, an R&I and techno-economic consultancy, a renewable energy developer and a major European refinery group, supported by an industry advisory board including Johnson Matthey.

How

Development of a proof of concept validated in a laboratory environment to reach TRL 4. Modelling and simulation are combined with first-of-its-kind experimental studies , including novel membrane reactors and advanced catalysts , to demonstrate essential system functions in a 1 kWth prototype. A digital twin will mirror the physical plant for real-time optimisation. Techno-economic analysis and life-cycle assessment will evaluate viability across European deployment scenarios.

When

This four-year project (2026–2029) aims to demonstrate the METHCESFUEL concept and advance it from TRL 2 to TRL 4. If successful, a second four-year phase will develop a 100 kWth demonstrator to reach TRL 7. A third phase of three years would scale the technology to commercial level.
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