High-temperature proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells are capable of using methanol directly as a fuel, reducing total of cost of ownership and improving the viability of methanol as a carrier in the hydrogen economy, according to fuel cell developer and manufacturer Advent Technologies.

Hydrogen is expensive and dangerous to transport in its pure form, meaning it must be compressed, liquefied, or synthesised into a derivative before it can be shipped.

The conversion and reconversion costs to and from pure hydrogen can make derivatives an expensive way to transport the fuel. The ability to use methanol directly in a fuel cell rather than hydrogen removes the need for reconversion costs.

“Total cost of ownership will be very attractive” Kneisz, Advent

“We operate at a higher temperature than regular fuel cells. That allows us to use other fuels,” said Alan Kneisz, vice-president of sales at Advent, speaking on a webcast organised by Germany’s Mission Hydrogen team. “That means total cost of ownership will be very attractive.”

Due to their high temperature of operation—120–200°C—Advent’s fuel cells can work with impure hydrogen in the form of e-fuels and natural gas as well as methanol. Advent has received €782.1mn ($847mn) from the EU’s Important Projects of Common European Interest fund to develop the technology.

The firm says its latest iteration will be the first PEM-based fuel cells worldwide that can consistently operate above 100°C for more than 10,000 hours, making them ideal for applications in the defence, aviation, power storage, and the marine and aviation sectors.

Demand for methanol for existing applications is set to grow at 3.6pc per year between 2018 and 2030, according to the IEA.

Floating possibilities

The marine sector has been one of the early adopters of methanol as a marine fuel, following the adoption of the International Maritime Organization interim guidelines for ships using methyl- or ethyl-alcohol as a fuel in 2020. Some 24 vessels already run on the fuel, according to analyst DNV, and Advent says there are another 35 on order.

Methanol has been transported in chemicals carriers for many years, and more than 100 ports and bunkering stations have the associated infrastructure for the fuel, which is principally used to produce chemicals such as formaldehyde.

Container ship operator Maersk has announced the imminent first voyage of the world’s first methanol-enabled container vessel, and the company will receive a fleet of 19 methanol-enabled ships from 2024.

“Due to safety and other aspects, we have seen most of the marine industry really embrace methanol,” says Kneisz.

Cost reduction

Ammonia also has a well-established traded market and supply chain and is considered alongside methanol as one of the likely earlier carrier derivatives for hydrogen.

This is partly because it also has an area of new demand that does not require reconversion—co-firing in power plants, something both Japan and South Korea are looking to do. Japanese utility Jera is targeting 50pc ammonia/coal co-firing by 2030, while South Korea wants 20pc of its gas-fired power stations to be co-firing ammonia by 2030.

Industry body the Hydrogen Council’s Hydrogen Trade Flows report envisions 65mn t/yr of hydrogen shipped as ammonia in 2050 and 20mn t/yr shipped as methanol.

One of the key methanol routes envisioned is from the US to China, with the latter foreseen to have significant future clean methanol demand for transport.

“You might not see this in Europe and other regions, but already in China there are thousands of cars and trucks running on methanol today,” says Kneisz.

In 2019, the Chinese government issued guidelines on methanol as a vehicle fuel, encouraging its use for official cars, taxis and short-distance buses.

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Author: Tom Young