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Technologies that changing the world

small-capacity methanol production technologies

... As a result of more than 15 years of experiments, research and development, we have created an alternative highly efficient technology for processing natural gas into methanol. As developers, we have put one’s heart and soul into for creating technologies that can be useful for the whole world.

Co-founder,
CTO

Our mission

inclusion of innovative technologies for 100% processing of associated and natural gas in existing technological chains with the goal of significantly affecting the ecology of the earth and the atmosphere.

About us

Our technology is a combination of creative vision and classic methods of gas processing. We reproduced our development as small-tonnage (from 5 000 to 20 000 thousand tons / year of methanol) industrial complexes of container and stationary types. Finally, we managed to overcome the main problems of existing solutions (soot, high costs of resources for production, etc.), having received the highest-class technology, which is the best in its segment.

These mini productions approach for oil and gas companies and industrial methanol consumers. Our plants allow to get extra competitive advantages by reducing prime cost and getting new kinds of productions, meeting all modern ecological requirements for the products and productions.

The prime cost of production and business completely changes if we place our installations directly on the places of shale oil and gas production. It is a model of absence of transport brachium and productions of highly liquid products with high value added directly on the place with subsequent sale in the region. The volatility risk in exchange price of oil (as a final product) is leveled, and the overall level of production profitability rises.

Our advantages

1

Low CAPEX compared to classic technologies per 1 ton of methanol production

300-500$ CAPEX per ton of production annual
2

High technical and economical efficiency of the plant, low cost of production

Up to 50% cost reduction
3

Environmentally friendliness of the plant, no harmful waste in production, CO2 consumption in the processing

0 m3 of carbon dioxide released during production
4

The ability to receive electricity in the production process

Up to 2 MW/h depending on plant capacity
5

A huge global market for products - methanol, with an annual CAGR of 5%

36 bln$ methanol market volume

More about technology

Traditional method

1095
533
630
1274
0.420

Proposed technology

Natural gas (m3) at synthesis gas
628
Natural gas (m3) at raw materials heating
0
Oxygen (m3)
Use air
Electricity (kW)
Produce electricity
Water (m3)
0.384

The main methanol production technology is two-stage. At the first stage, synthesis gas is produced by conducting an exothermic partial oxidation of natural gas in a high-temperature reactor. Air is used as an oxidizing agent. The process of partial oxidation of natural gas occurs at a pressure of 50-60 atm. As a result, it becomes possible to avoid the compression of synthesis gas. The heat released during the reaction is utilized in a waste heat boiler to produce superheated steam, which is distributed into three streams:
- Humidification of natural gas before it is fed to a high temperature reactor.
- Mixing with synthesis gas before feeding it to the steam reforming reactor of carbon monoxide to adjust the ratio of H2/CO.
- The mainstream of superheated steam is directed to a steam turbine with subsequent generation of electricity.

At the second stage, an innovative three-stage methanol synthesis technology with intermediate methanol evolution after each of the three reactors without conducting synthesis gas circulation will be applied.
One of the features of the proposed methanol technology is the installation of a turboexpander at the tail gas outlet from the methanol synthesis reactor compartment. The turboexpander is designed to convert the potential energy of compressed tail gas to produce electrical energy.
If necessary, it is possible to install a third unit, which will allow the processing of methanol into other products.

Altissima quaeque flumina minimo sono labuntur.
Q. Curtius Rufus
Synthesis gas production
Methanol synthesis
Methanol processing
(if it's necessary)

About Methanol

Market volume: ~36 bln $
Market growth rate: ~5%
73 mln t
2014
78 mln t
2015
85 mln t
2016
88 mln t
2017
92 mln t
2018
97 mln t
2019
Source: MMSA

Methanol, also known as methyl or wood alcohol, is a liquid, flammable, organic, water-soluble and biodegradable substance. The chemical formula of methanol is CH3OH, it belongs to the group of simple monohydric alcohols. Methanol can be obtained from natural gas, coal, and renewable sources such as garbage, biomass, and recycled carbon dioxide.

Methanol is mainly obtained from natural gas by reforming - steam treatment of gas. The resulting gas mixture is then distilled to create pure methanol. Methanol is one of the most important ingredients that can be used to produce many types of industrial and consumer products. About 40% of methanol in the world is used in energy.

Methanol can be used:
- as a motor fuel. Methanol provides lower emissions than regular gasoline as fuel; burns “cleaner” with less soot.
- as a fuel component. Methanol is used to produce dimethyl ether (DME), the fuel of the future for diesel engines. Methanol is a key component of biodiesel (renewable fuels).
- as a component of additives that increase the octane number in gasoline, for example methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE).
- as a ship fuel. Demand for methanol grows in shipping, especially in the United States and Western Europe, as well as in the Middle East and Australia.

In industry, the largest amount of methanol is used to produce formaldehyde (about 30%). Isoprene, acetic acid and a number of esters are also made from methanol. Significant amounts of methanol are used in the paint industry for the manufacture of solvents for varnishes.

Flaring gas

Flaring gas bln m3.
2014
map1
143.9
2015
map2
146.6
2016
map3
147.6
2017
map4
140.6
2018
map5
145

Source: World Bank

Locations of associated
petroleum gas combustion ellipse
Flaring gas volume 2018:
145 bln m3
Released volume CO2 2018:
350 bln m3
Flaring growth
rate 2018: 3%
The process of oil production is accompanied by the production of associated petroleum gas. Most of the associated petroleum gas is collected and used, but still billions of cubic meters are flared throughout the world. The energy released from burning a valuable resource could be redirect into economic growth and the general progress of mankind. This volume (equivalent to 750 billion kW or $ 75 billion at a price of 0.1$/kW) is greater than the annual electricity consumption throughout Africa.

This process has a major impact on climate change throughout the world, because millions of cubic meters of CO2 are released into the atmosphere when gas is burned.

This situation has arisen due to many factors: imperfection of gas markets, drawback of necessary infrastructure, lack of effective gas processing technologies in place, administrative and political barriers.

Project timeline

2014

Preliminary calculations, creating a production scheme

2015

Establishment of a legal entity

2016

Pre-R&D, development of technology recommendations

2017

R&D, changes to the original technology

2018

Registration of a legal entity in Skolkovo, Patenting

2019

Start of industrial model creation

The project is at a high stage of readiness for industrial implementation.

An industrial prototype was created

  • The Russian Federation patent was received “Small scale plant for methanol production” No. 176510
  • The Russian Federation patent was received “Producing Method of hydrogen-containing gas for the methanol production and a device for its production” No. 2632846
  • An experimental pilot plant was created (the main parts successfully worked for 8 000 hours)
  • The project was evaluated successfully by international experts at the request of the Skolkovo Innovation Fund

Project technical team

Vasiliy Efremov

Chief Technology Officer

Ph.d. in Engineering. Till 2017 - Chief Technology Specialist LLC “NIAP-KATALIZATOR”. Honorary chemist of the Russian Federation, Winner of the contest "Engineer of the year", Winner of the Russian state prize in science and technology 2017. Holder of 20 patents in the field of chemistry.

Aleksey Kuzmin

Main Specialist in Designing Systems for Methanol Synthesis

Ph.d. in Engineering. Associate Professor of the Department "Engines and power plants of aircraft "BSTU " VOENMEH“ and senior researcher of the Department of advanced development of the research part. Holder of 11 patents for inventions and utility models.

Yuriy Zagashvili

Chief Specialist of Technical Systems Management

D.Sc. in Engineering, Professor. Till 2013 - Vice-rector for scientific and innovative activities of BSTU "VOENMEKH" D. F. Ustinova. Participation in more than 20 research and development projects in the field of chemistry and physics, including as a project Manager. The holder of 21 patents.

Evgeny Golosman

Chief Technology Officer

D.Sc. in Engineering. Experience: Developer of catalysts. that implemented at 200 plants and organizations of the Russian Federation, CIS and far abroad. Honorary chemist of the Russian Federation, Winner of the contest "Engineer of the year", Winner of the Russian state prize in science and technology 2017. Holder of 100 certificates and patents in the field of chemistry.

Project management team

Roman Efremov

Сhief Executive Officer

Experience in sales of chemical products and reagents more than 15 years. Participated in the creation of several projects in the field of chemistry. Experience in the management of commercial enterprises in the field of chemistry for more than 10 years.

Dmitry Orlov

Deputy CEO for General Administration

Experience as a co-founder and CEO in diverse companies, engineering, international trade and services more than 25 years

Denis Zharov

Advisor

MBA. 15 years of experience at senior positions in large telecommunication and trading companies. Co-founder of a number of Russian firms and holdings.

Anton Ulmanis

Chief Investment Officer

Master in Finance. Experience in investment and innovation for more than 7 years. Experience as a business owner Advisor for more than 3 years. Experience in the development of the product line and the project's entry into the European market.

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