As part of its commitment to sustainability and innovation, ACCIONA is participating in the COMECOCO2 project, which aims to validate an efficient green methanol production system based on high-temperature co-electrolysis, with direct application in the maritime sector, one of the sectors with the greatest impact in terms of carbon footprint.
Green methanol is emerging as a promising alternative for the decarbonization of energy-intensive sectors seeking to improve both efficiency and sustainability. Today, most methanol production relies on natural gas reforming, an energy-intensive process that generates significant greenhouse gas emissions.
In response, and in pursuit of more sustainable methanol production routes, the project will focus on developing a system that combines the generation of syngas through high-temperature co-electrolysis of captured CO₂ and water vapor, followed by its conversion into methanol in an advanced catalytic reactor. The system will be integrated into a Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), making use of CO₂ from the biogas generated at the facility, as well as reclaimed water from the plant to produce the steam required for the co-electrolysis subsystem. This approach will not only reduce the carbon footprint of methanol production but will also enhance circularity in the water treatment sector, offering new value streams for WWTPs through captured CO₂ and reclaimed water suitable for co-electrolysis.
The technology developed within COMECOCO2, which avoids the use of critical raw materials, is expected to achieve process efficiencies above 65% and reduce energy consumption by 25% compared to conventional green methanol production pathways
As an alternative to other green methanol production methods —such as biomass gasification or biogas reforming— the project’s technological proposal explores co-electrolysis and catalysis. This will help overcome current barriers to methanol production, including high costs, low efficiency, and limited durability of the materials used.
The technology developed within COMECOCO2, which avoids the use of critical raw materials, is expected to achieve process efficiencies above 65% and reduce energy consumption by 25% compared to conventional green methanol production pathways. This will lower fuel costs while also strengthening the industrial value chain for synthetic fuels in Spain and across Europe.
Within the framework of the project, ACCIONA’s role will focus on the study, design, installation, and integration of the final methanol synthesis system in a WWTP, considering both the use of CO₂ from sludge digesters and the reuse of treated wastewater. During this process, the impact of impurities present in CO₂ and water quality on system performance and operation will be assessed to ensure its proper functionality in the plant.
The COMECOCO2 project brings together ACCIONA and 11 multidisciplinary entities across Spain. It is funded under the Misiones de Ciencia e Innovación - Transmisiones call, within the framework of the Programa de Transferencia y Colaboración del Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica, Técnica y de Innovación 2024-2027, with a total budget of nearly €4 million.
