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Open AccessArticle
CH4 and CO2 Reductions from Methanol Production Using Municipal Solid Waste Gasification with Hydrogen Enhancement
by
Mohammad Ostadi
Mohammad Ostadi 1,2,*,
Daniel R. Cohn
Daniel R. Cohn 2,
Guiyan Zang
Guiyan Zang 2 and
Leslie Bromberg
Leslie Bromberg
Dr. Mohammad Ostadi is an assistant professor at Aalborg university, with a focus on clean energy in [...]
Dr. Mohammad Ostadi is an assistant professor at Aalborg university, with a focus on clean energy and energy transition, delivering efficient and sustainable solutions. Leveraging his expertise in process modelling and optimization, he is able to design and optimize production processes for optimal performance and efficiency. Through his experience in process integration, he is able to integrate various processes to improve overall production efficiency and reduce costs. By applying Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodologies, he identifies the environmental impact of various industrial production processes and design solutions to minimize their impact.
3
1
Department of Energy, Aalborg University, 6700 Esbjerg, Denmark
2
MIT Energy Initiative, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
3
MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Sustainability 2024, 16(19), 8649; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16198649 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 9 September 2024
/
Revised: 2 October 2024
/
Accepted: 3 October 2024
/
Published: 6 October 2024
Abstract
This study evaluates the greenhouse gas (GHG) impacts of converting municipal solid waste (MSW) into methanol, focusing on both landfill methane (CH₄) emission avoidance and the provision of cleaner liquid fuels with lower carbon intensity. We conduct a life cycle assessment (LCA) to assess potential GHG reductions from MSW gasification to methanol, enhanced with hydrogen produced via natural gas pyrolysis or water electrolysis. Hydrogen enhancement effectively doubles the methanol yield from a given amount of MSW. Special attention is given to hydrogen production through natural gas pyrolysis due to its potential for lower-cost hydrogen and reduced reliance on renewable electricity compared to electrolytic hydrogen. Our analysis uses a case study of methanol production from an oxygen-fired entrained flow gasifier fed with refuse-derived fuel (RDF) simulated in Aspen HYSYS. The LCA incorporates the significant impact of landfill methane avoidance, particularly when considering the 20-year global warming potential (GWP). Based on the LCA, the process has illustrative net GHG emissions of 183 and 709 kgCO2e/t MeOH using renewable electricity for electrolytic hydrogen and pyrolytic hydrogen, respectively, for the 100-year GWP. The net GHG emissions using 20-year GWP are −1222 and −434 kgCO2e/t MeOH, respectively. Additionally, we analyze the sensitivity of net GHG emissions to varying levels of fugitive methane emissions.
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MDPI and ACS Style
Ostadi, M.; Cohn, D.R.; Zang, G.; Bromberg, L.
CH4 and CO2 Reductions from Methanol Production Using Municipal Solid Waste Gasification with Hydrogen Enhancement. Sustainability 2024, 16, 8649.
https://doi.org/10.3390/su16198649
AMA Style
Ostadi M, Cohn DR, Zang G, Bromberg L.
CH4 and CO2 Reductions from Methanol Production Using Municipal Solid Waste Gasification with Hydrogen Enhancement. Sustainability. 2024; 16(19):8649.
https://doi.org/10.3390/su16198649
Chicago/Turabian Style
Ostadi, Mohammad, Daniel R. Cohn, Guiyan Zang, and Leslie Bromberg.
2024. "CH4 and CO2 Reductions from Methanol Production Using Municipal Solid Waste Gasification with Hydrogen Enhancement" Sustainability 16, no. 19: 8649.
https://doi.org/10.3390/su16198649
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