2024 October 24th, Alxa League, Inner Mongolia. The first 100,000-ton demonstration phase of a 500,000-ton green methanol production project in Alxa was officially launched. The green methanol project in Inner Mongolia is China’s first 500,000-ton-level project that synthesizes green methanol by using wind and solar power for the electrolysis of water to produce hydrogen and combining it with carbon dioxide captured from industrial operations.
The Alxa green methanol production project is jointly invested in by Chunqing Technology under Geely Farizon New Energy Commercial Vehicle Group, Windey Energy Technology Group, China South-to-North Water Diversion Group, and Inner Mongolia Alxa Energy Company, and implemented by Inner Mongolia Liquid Solar Energy Technology Co., Ltd. By using renewable energy to electrolyze water to produce hydrogen and combining it with the carbon dioxide captured from the flue gas of enterprises to synthesize green methanol, recycling of waste carbon dioxide is achieved. The project utilizes core technologies from Geely’s green methanol production. After the 500,000-ton project reaches its full production capacity, it is expected to reduce carbon emissions by 750,000 tons annually, accelerating the transition to a carbon neutral future. In the future, relying on the local 1.3 billion kilowatts of wind and solar power resources, the Alxa green methanol energy base will be able to produce 200 – 300 million tons of green methanol annually.
The Alxa League is located in the westernmost part of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, boasting approximately 1.3 billion kilowatts of readily exploitable wind and solar resources and over 3 billion kilowatts in prospective resources. It is one of the most resource-rich areas for wind and solar energy in China, providing a unique advantage for the development of methanol as a clean energy source. On October 25, the Alxa League Administrative Office issued the “Implementation Plan for the Development of a Green Methanol Demonstration Industry,” aiming to establish the league as a global leader in green methanol energy production while promoting the application of methanol vehicles throughout the region. The Alxa green methanol preparation project, initiated by Inner Mongolia Liquid Sunshine Energy Technology Co., Ltd., is a practical exploration of industrializing methanol production from CO2 hydrogenation, which will significantly boost the development of local wind and solar resources and enhance the capacity for green electricity consumption. This will positively contribute to the iterative transformation of the region’s traditional energy structure and achieve green, low-carbon development.
Methanol energy, regarded as “liquid hydrogen” and “liquid electricity,” is more economical, safer, and sustainable, representing a “super fuel” that provides a ready solution to energy security and dual carbon challenges. The Alxa green methanol preparation project will leverage the technological advantages of pioneering companies such as the Farizon New Energy Commercial Vehicle Group, Windey Energy Technology Group, China South-to-North Water Diversion Group, and Inner Mongolia Alxa Energy Company. By deeply integrating resources, the project aims to produce more cost-effective green methanol, enhance its market competitiveness in the new energy sector, and support the broader application of methanol, facilitating green energy transition and clean development.
In the future, by leveraging Geely’s comprehensive advantages in the methanol ecosystem, all parties involved in the project will engage in extensive collaboration around the promotion of methanol vehicles. They will work together with upstream and downstream enterprises to build a green methanol ecosystem, accelerate the development of methanol-hydrogen electric vehicles and create a synergistic industrial development model. This will provide a demonstration case for promoting green methanol ecosystems while enhancing the high quality development of Alxa.