Process simulation and multi-aspect analysis of methanol production through blast furnace gas and landfill gas

Abstract

This paper presents a novel process for methanol production from blast furnace gas (BFG) and landfill gas (LFG). The process is evaluated using the energy, exergy, economic, and environmental (4E) analyses. The process consists of a power plant fueled by LFG, carbon dioxide (CO2) chemisorption using 30% (wt.) solution of monoethanolamine, methanol synthesis and separation, and power and steam plants. Thermodynamic analysis shows that the total energy and exergy efficiencies for the proposed process are 59% and 63.2%, respectively. The carbon efficiency for this method is 42%. Environmental analysis shows that the total CO2 emission is 2614.85 kg/h. Based on the simulation results, this process produces 18,200 kg/h methanol, which results in a CO2 emission intensity of 0.144 kg CO2/kg MeOH. Economic evaluation determines that the proposed scheme has a capital cost of $100, 315, 128.9 with a payback period of 1.94 years. In addition, methanol production's annual profit is $4,798,088.309, and the minimum selling price of the produced methanol is $0.388/kg. The proposed process is a promising alternative for methanol production from BFG and LFG. It has high energy and exergy efficiencies, low CO2 emission intensity, and a short payback period. The economic analysis shows that the process is profitable.