Social Life Cycle Assessment of Green Methanol as Energy and Fuels

Abstract

Green methanol may help to decarbonize energy and chemicals. Despite life-cycle techno-economic and environmental research on green methanol, its supply-chain social impacts still need to be discovered. This study provides the first social life cycle evaluation of green methanol made from hydrogen electrolyzed from wind power and direct CO2 collection from the air. Due to its more complex supply chain, green methanol performs worse than conventional methanol derived from natural gas on negative social indicators such as forced labor, the proportion of women in the sectoral labor force, health expenditures, social responsibility, and fair salaries. Green methanol generates more sectoral economic growth than conventional methanol, which is a positive social indicator that benefits from longer working hours. Technical advances must lower the high energy inputs and equipment demand throughout Green Methanol's supply chain to improve its social life-cycle performance. Further consideration of more positive indicators and potential improvements in country- and sector-specific risk levels for high-quality social and working conditions is needed. Future social studies should compare renewable production options for green methanol and their social impact, as decarbonization drives its use.