The solar thermal plant known as“Solar Methanol 1″(SM1) has obtained planning consent for construction in Port Augusta and South Australia. This facility, developed by Vast in collaboration with Germany’s Mabanaft, is designed to produce 7,500 tons of green methanol per year.
The Solar Methanol 1 plant
The SM1 project will integrate a Leilac calcination plant, a Calix technology, which will capture carbon dioxide (CO₂) generated in cement and lime production, an electrolysis plant for hydrogen production and a plant for methanol production.
[post_relacionado]At the core of the project, VS1, a 30 MW/288 MWh CSP plant located at the same site, will use Vast’s CSP v3.0 technology to supply renewable heat and power, facilitating the production of green fuels .
In February 2024, Vast and its partners announced that they had secured funding of up to US$12.89 million from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency(ARENA). In addition, Projektträger Jülich (PtJ), a German public body in science, industry and politics, granted additional funding of up to 12.4 million euros to Mabanaft as part of HyGATE, a collaboration between the Australian and German governments to support projects related to the hydrogen supply chain.
The SM1 project
With the recent planning approval, the SM1 plant is one step closer to reaching the final investment decision(FID). Craig Wood, CEO of Vast, welcomed this progress on the Port Augusta and South Australia projects.
Likewise, Phil Hodgso, CEO and general manager of Calix, expressed that capturing and reusing CO₂ emissions from cement and lime offers a solution to decarbonize various hard-to-reduce industries. He also celebrated the progress of the SM1 project, which brings it closer to becoming the world’s first methanol solar plant.
Finally, Volker Ebeling, senior vice president of New Energies, Supply and Infrastructure at Mabanaft, expressed optimism about the possibility of expanding the technology to larger-scale projects that can serve other markets, including Europe.
Follow us on social networks and don’t miss any of our publications!
YouTube LinkedIn Facebook Instagram X
Source and photo: Vast