Methanol

Methanol (CH₃OH), also known as wood alcohol, is considered an alternative fuel under the Energy Policy Act of 1992. As an engine fuel, methanol has chemical and physical fuel properties similar to ethanol. Methanol was used in the 1990s as an alternative fuel for compatible vehicles, but current research now focuses on use as a sustainable marine fuel.

Production

This fuel is generally produced by steam-reforming natural gas to create a synthesis gas. Feeding this synthesis gas into a reactor with a catalyst produces methanol and water vapor. Various feedstocks can produce methanol, but natural gas is currently the most economical.

Benefits

Methanol can be an alternative to conventional transportation fuels. The benefits of methanol include:

• Lower production costs—Methanol is cheap to produce relative to other alternative fuels.

• Improved safety—Methanol has a lower risk of flammability compared to gasoline.

• Increased energy security—Methanol can be manufactured from a variety of domestic carbon-based feedstocks, such as biomass, natural gas, and coal.

Research and Development

The U.S. Department of Energy and other entitites are currently researching methanol as a sustainable marine fuel.

More Information

Learn more about methanol from the links below. The Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC) and U.S. Department of Energy do not necessarily recommend or endorse these companies (see disclaimer).

• Current State of Sustainable Marine Fuels
• Methanol Institute
• Methanol as an Alternative Transportation Fuel in the United States: Options for Sustainable and/or Energy-Secure Transportation
• The Future of Natural Gas
• Advancing the Development of Biofuels for the Marine Sector
• Primer on the Cost of Marine Fuels Compliant with IMO 2020 Rule

The AFDC also provides a publications search for more information.