MAN Energy Solutions has completed the construction of the methanol-synthesis unit for a pilot plant in southern Chile to produce synthetic fuels known as eFuels. The methanol-synthesis unit uses Johnson Matthey proprietary CO2 to methanol technology. After commissioning, scheduled for fall 2022, the plant will produce up to 750 metric tons per year of green methanol annually driven by wind power, much of which will be later converted into carbon-neutral gasoline.

The eFuels plant, ‘Haru Oni’, is currently under construction by Chilean company, HIF, in cooperation with Siemens Energy and other project partners near the southern Chilean city of Punta Arenas; the client is Porsche AG.

Porsche initially intends to use the generated eFuels in several lighthouse projects, among others in motor sports and its Porsche Experience Centers. At first, the pilot phase will generate around 130,000 litres of eFuels with capacity gradually increasing into an industrial scale by mid of the decade.

“Sustainably produced, synthetic fuels are indispensable on the road towards a climate-neutral future and we have many years of experience in manufacturing reactor systems for their production,” said Norbert Anger, site manager at MAN Energy Solutions in Deggendorf, Germany. “Climate-neutral methanol will especially play an important role in the future as a fuel within the shipping segment so we are pleased to be able to demonstrate our expertise in methanol synthesis in this project.”

Expected arrival

Assembly of the 10-metre-tall, methanol-reactor system has taken five months. It will now travel from MAN’s Deggendorf site to Rotterdam, the Netherlands, from where it will depart – spending eight weeks at sea – before finally reaching its destination at the construction site in Punta Arenas.

From May 2022, two employees from MAN Energy Solutions, Deggendorf will commission the reactor on site with eFuels production in Chile scheduled to commence in fall 2022.