Situation

The shared ambition of the industry in Antwerp is to produce climate-neutral by 2050. Methanol production can potentially play an important role here. This feedstock is often used in the chemical industry in this region, but is currently still produced from fossil raw materials.

To achieve the climate goals of the industry in Antwerp, Power to Methanol Antwerp was initiated. This consortium consists of seven parties: ENGIE, Antwerp Port Authority, Fluxys, Indaver, INOVYN, Advario and the Flemish Environmental Holding Company.

They are joining forces to build a demo plant at the INOVYN site in Lillo. This plant will produce sustainable methanol using green electricity for a test period of 10 years.

​Solution

As the demo plant will be built on INOVYN’s site, it will also use certain facilities from the INOVYN plant, such as cooling water and steam. KH Engineering is responsible for the complete engineering of these connections, some main components of the plant (including a new hydrogen compressor, methanol storage and loading) and the interconnections between the other main components of the new demo plant. Think of carbon dioxide storage, an electrolysis unit, a methanol reactor, a methanol distillation unit and a waste gas treatment unit.

The concept phase and basic engineering have already been completed; in the next phase, KH Engineering will also be responsible for the detailed engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCm).

Several parties are involved in this project, for the reactor design, the electrolysis of water into hydrogen and oxygen, and the supply of CO₂, among other things. As this is a project for a demo plant, the CO₂ will be supplied in storage vessels by a specialised company. Future plans also include capturing CO₂ using other methods.