Short answer: a 150 tonne-per-day methanol plant makes about 50,000 tonnes a year and will usually need roughly 80,000 to 165,000 dry tonnes of biomass a year, depending on process yield. The exact figure comes from the plant design and tested feedstock.
Buyers, lenders and landowners all ask the same early question about a methanol plant: how much biomass does it need? The answer depends on yield, which depends on how the plant is designed.
The calculation
- 150 t/day methanolNameplate output
- × 330 daysTypical operating year
- ≈ 50,000 t/yearMethanol produced
- ÷ yield0.3 to 0.6 t methanol per dry tonne
- 80,000 to 165,000 tDry biomass a year
| Methanol yield (t per dry tonne) | Dry biomass per day | Dry biomass per year |
|---|---|---|
| 0.3 | 500 | 165,000 |
| 0.4 | 375 | 124,000 |
| 0.5 | 300 | 99,000 |
| 0.6 | 250 | 83,000 |
These are screening figures, not a performance guarantee. Annual figures assume 330 operating days.
Why the yield varies
The process route
Studies of biomass gasification to methanol report yields in a wide range. Simulations and laboratory work cluster at roughly 0.5 to 0.8 tonnes of methanol per tonne of biomass where hydrogen is supplied to balance the gas. Plants that do not add hydrogen convert less of the carbon to methanol, so their yield is lower. Treat published numbers as modelling results rather than plant guarantees.
Added hydrogen
Biomass syngas is short of hydrogen relative to carbon. Adding hydrogen from a low-carbon source can roughly double the liquid fuel per tonne of biomass in modelling work, but it adds equipment and power demand. The right choice depends on power cost and the plant's carbon target.
Moisture, ash and fuel preparation
Water and ash add weight but no fuel value. A wet feedstock needs drying, which uses energy. Our guide to how much biomass a 1 MW power plant needs explains the same effect for power.
Supply is more than an annual total
At 250 to 500 dry tonnes a day, supply must arrive every day. A credible plan covers:
- monthly availability and the weakest month;
- moisture range through wet and dry seasons;
- storage for several days of fuel;
- haul distance and cost;
- certification of the feedstock source;
- contracts that run for the plant's financing period.
Allow headroom above the modelled need. Fifteen to 25 percent is a sensible starting point for discussion. For more on testing a supply, see assessing biomass feedstock for onsite power.
What this means for a project
A plant of this size is a large regional buyer of woody biomass. Landowners and suppliers who can offer certified, consistent material near the site are central to the project. CNP is developing a biomethanol plant in the United States. Read about the project or, if you supply biomass, register your interest.
