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Neom’s Enowa plans synthetic fuels pilot project

26 October 2023

Neom energy and water subsidiary, Enowa, has awarded Germany's Thyssenkrupp Uhde a contract for the supply of engineering services, design and procurement of a new synthetic fuels demonstration plant.

The pilot carbon dioxide-to-methanol and methanol-to-gasoline project will be located at Enowa's Hydrogen Innovation & Development Centre in Saudi Arabia.

Thyssenkrupp Uhde will perform engineering services as well as the supply, design and procurement of equipment for the facility.

The plant is a joint development of Enowa and state-backed energy firm Saudi Aramco. It will use the Uhde green methanol process and ExxonMobil’s fluidised bed methanol-to-gasoline process.

The plant is expected to produce 12 tonnes of methanol and 35 barrels of gasoline a day when complete.

According to Thyssenkrupp Uhde, methanol produced from hydrogen and carbon dioxide (CO2) can be used as an energy carrier, a hydrogen carrier and a transport fuel, as well as to store electric power generated from renewable energies.

It can also be used as a climate-friendly feedstock in the chemicals industry, including for products such as plastics, paints and varnishes, building materials, clothing, pharmaceutical products and disinfectants.

The Uhde green methanol technology for the production of methanol from CO2 and hydrogen is a key technology for climate protection, according to Thyssenkrupp.

"By switching from fossil to renewable energy carriers and by using captured CO2 for the production of many products, CO2 emissions can be significantly reduced or avoided. The direct conversion of CO2 to methanol using hydrogen is particularly suitable," the company said.

It added that Uhde's process design offers the "greatest possible efficiency and is suitable for both decentralised small and medium-sized methanol plants, as well as for centralised plants for the production of up to several thousand tonnes of methanol a day".

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Jennifer Aguinaldo

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