CCUS in Coal-Fired Power Plants: Process Innovation and Practice of CO2 Capture and Catalytic Methanol Synthesis

Unofficial AI-generated summary based on the public title and abstract. Not an official translation.

🔬研究者:Provides detailed process data and catalyst performance for CO2-to-methanol, useful for CCUS and e-fuel research.

🏢実務担当者:Offers engineering solutions for integrating CO2 capture and methanol synthesis in coal-fired plants, applicable to retrofit projects.

🏛政策担当者:Highlights technical readiness of CCUS for coal power decarbonization, supporting policy design for carbon utilization incentives.

With the accelerated advancement of global climate governance, China—currently the world's largest emitter of carbon dioxide—faces unprecedented decarbonization pressure(Zhenyu Zhao, 2013). In 2022, energy-related carbon emissions surged to 11 billion tonnes, constituting over 80% of the national total. Emissions from coal-fired power plants alone exceeded 4.5 billion tonnes, accounting for 43% of energy-sector emissions(Annual-Report-Working-Group-on-China's-Synergistic-Pathways-for-Carbon-Neutrality-and-Clean-Air, 2022). This structural disparity has grown increasingly prominent under the implementation of China’s "Dual Carbon" strategy. China’s 14th Five-Year Plan for the Modern Energy System explicitly mandates a 20% share of non-fossil fuel consumption by 2025(National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), 2022). In parallel, a "Three-pronged Retrofitting" initiative for coal-fired power plants is being implemented, assigning the power sector responsibility for 40% of national emission reductions—placing it at the forefront of the carbon neutrality transition. The Action Plan for the Low-Carbon Transformation of Coal Power (2024–2027) identifies biomass co-firing, green ammonia blending, and end-of-pipe carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) as the three primary pathways for coal power decarbonization, and explicitly includes CO2 hydrogenation to methanol as a recognized technical route for coal-fired power retrofitting. Concurrently, the European Union’s amendment to the Renewable Energy Directive II (RED II) recognizes methanol derived from non-renewable CO2 captured in industrial and power generation sectors as "green methanol"—provided it is accounted for under the EU Emissions Trading System(EU, 2018). This regulatory expansion substantially enlarges the potential market for green methanol and stimulates adoption of CO2 hydrogenation technology across high-emission industries. Within the policy and technological context, CO2 hydrogenation to methanol has emerged as an innovative process pathway for carbon resource utilization, drawing considerable attention. Despite the successful deployment of several pilot projects—including Mitsui’s 100-ton/year pilot plant in Japan, multiple 100,000-metric-ton-scale plants by Iceland’s Carbon Recycling international(H. Wang et al., 2020), and Geely Group’s 30,000-tonne/year plant using Clariant catalysts(NenPower, 2025)—key technical and economic barriers persist. These include limited CO2 capture efficiency, suboptimal methanol selectivity and conversion, and inadequate system energy utilization efficiency(Roy et al., 2025). While the coupling of green hydrogen with CO2 by hydrogenation process is recognized as a critical pathway toward sustainable methanol production, large-scale deployment remains constrained due to techno-economic immaturity(Zhang et al., 2025). This study reports on the successful engineering design, procurement, construction and testing& pilot test operation (EPC+TO) of a 15,000-ton-scale demonstration plant for CO2 capture from flue gas and 10,000 t/a of subsequent methanol synthesis at Shanghai Waigaoqiao No.3 Power Plant by Wison Engineering. The plant integrates an AEEA-based amine absorbent for CO2 capture with low composition and a high-performance, modified copper-based catalyst for methanol synthesis. The project addresses multiple challenges encountered in industrial-scale production of methanol via CO2 capture & purification, offering engineered solutions through its innovative design. Employing an AEEA-based composite absorbent to enhance CO2 capture efficiency, as well as reducing the capture consumption, the system integrates a high-activity modified copper-based catalyst for efficient methanol synthesis. Building upon the practical insights gained from this industrial implementation, the paper further explores the potential application scenarios when coupled with green hydrogen, providing valuable real references for low-carbon transformation in traditional energy sectors.

• openaire https://doi.org/10.2118/229063-msfirst seen 2026-05-05 19:07:57