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51 min ago 2 min read
Japanese chemicals firm Mitsubishi Gas Chemical (MGC) is looking at setting up green methanol production in Australia using potential geologic hydrogen streams recovered by a start-up as a feedstock.
MGC signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Gold Hydrogen, which has been exploring natural hydrogen and helium reservoirs at its on the Yorke Peninsula in South Australia.
The pair intend to progress through a staged pre-feasibility study for methanol production, starting in the second half of this year, with MGC acting as technology owner and methanol marketer.
It comes as Gold Hydrogen plans to start a flow test programme at its Ramsay Project by early July.
Should the pre-feasibility phase prove successful and Gold Hydrogen confirms a natural hydrogen supply, the duo could progress to a definitive feasibility study and into front-end engineering design.
Methanol is a chemical used across chemical and pharmaceutical markets, as well as plastics and resin production.
Green methanol – produced by combining green hydrogen and biogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) – is also being viewed as a potential future shipping fuel. However, uptake has been limited by the high costs of the chemical, primarily driven by hydrogen costs.
Natural hydrogen is formed by natural geological processes within the Earth’s crust, where it can accumulate and continue to be generated over time.
Since the early 2020s, the number of natural hydrogen exploration companies has grown from just a few , with many promising well-head hydrogen costs lower than fossil-based production.
Gold Hydrogen has also said the region has one of Australia’s “most reliable” wheat and barley cropping regions, which generates “under-utilised” straw residues that could produce biogenic CO2 for methanol production.
“Gold Hydrogen has demonstrated strong technical capability and momentum in advancing the Ramsay Project, and we are deeply interested in the immense potential of the Yorke Peninsula opportunity,” said MGC Executive Officer, Masahiko Naito.
