Plastic waste conversion to methanol through water vapor plasma gasification and advanced catalytic synthesis (E-Pla2Meth) [LEI coordinated]

he increasing consumerism leads to rising amounts of plastic waste, and it is estimated that 6.3 billion tons of this waste were generated globally up to 2018. Plastic waste is a high concern in the Nordic and Baltic states, as 70% of waste found in the Baltic Sea is plastic. For this reason, a lot of efforts are made to catch trash from the water and utilize it in a waste-to-energy pathway through incineration. However, increasing amounts of plastic waste for incineration lead to higher emissions of CO2. Considering the Green Deal and Nordic Vision 2030 targets, this project will demonstrate the concept of two intensified processes for the conversion of plastic wastes into methanol via water vapor plasma-assisted gasification and sorption-enhanced methanol synthesis (Plasma-Gasification-SEM).

The aim of the project is to efficiently convert plastic waste to green methanol. The efficient conversion of plastic waste to methanol requires extensive knowledge of material sciences, thermochemical processes, and process intensification. To build-up this knowledge in the partner countries, detailed scientific work involving experimental studies of
investigation of the plasma-assisted gasification application on plastic (LDPE/HDPE/mix) conversion to syngas using different gasifying agents (water vapor, water vapor/CO2) and determination of optimal parameters for achieving the highest H2/CO ratio; and development of the catalyst and sorbent material for Sorption-Enhanced Methanol Synthesis (SEMS) with high CO2 hydrogenation activity, high water adsorption capacity and showing stability over 20 multiple synthesis-regeneration cycles, suitable for raw syngas.

LEI activities in the Project

LEI scientists are responsible for the coordination and administration of the project and for the implementation of Work Package 2 (WP2) to investigate plastic waste plasma gasification under different conditions and to determine the optimum parameters to achieve syngas with high H2/CO ratio for methanol synthesis.

 
Keywords:

Plastic waste, plasma gasification, syngas, catalytic synthesis, green methanol

 

Acronym: E-Pla2Meth

Project ID: 189738

Call: Open call: Research projects within the Joint Baltic-Nordic Energy Research Programme

Total value of the project: 2 712 295,00 NOK EUR (LEI part: 1 632 295 NOK).

 

Coordinator: Lithuanian Energy Institute (LEI), Lithuania.

Partners:

 
This project has received funding from the The Joint Baltic-Nordic Energy Research Programme under grant agreement No. 189738.

Project Team

Name, surname Office phone. e-mail

LEI Representative
 
Rolandas Paulauskas 105-LK +37037401830 Rolandas.Paulauskas@lei.lt

Project Team
 
Mindaugas Aikas 06-LK +37037401867 Mindaugas.Aikas@lei.lt
Dovilė Gimžauskaitė 110-LK +37037401866 Dovile.Gimzauskaite@lei.lt
Vilmantė Kudelytė 138-LK +37037401897 Vilmante.Kudelyte@lei.lt
Rolandas Uscila 112-LK +37037401901 Rolandas.Uscila@lei.lt
Kęstutis Zakarauskas 105-LK +37037401830 Kestutis.Zakarauskas@lei.lt