Methanol

Methanol is a realistic alternative to the Hydrogen Economy. Its more toxic, but as a liquid, its easier to transport and store. Unlike hydrogen, it can be distributed via the same transport systems used for oil and must of the technology for using it already exists. Like hydrogen, it can be used directly in fuel cells to generate electricity and, of course internal combustion engines can be modified to burn it. Also like hydrogen or biofuels, its a way of storing and transporting energy rather than a primary energy source.

Possible sources are:

• synthesis from natural gas. This is current technology but is not a renewable source.
• pyrolytic decomposition of wood. This method was introduced in 1927 and used to produce methanol fuel until it was displaced by oil-based fuels. A pyrolytic reactor is operated as a gasifier by injecting air or pure oxygen into the reactor core. This burns the biomass to ash and releases gasses. After scrubbing, the resulting syngas which is a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide in an approximately 2:1 ratio, is reacted in the presence of catalysts at high pressure and temperature to form methanol. This method produces about 100 gallons of methanol per ton of feed material. This process is carbon neutral because the methanol is derived from biomass.
• nuclear or renewable energy can be used to synthesise methanol from carbon dioxide and water. This should be non-polluting and carbon neutral: the only products are methanol and oxygen. It is, however, still only a gleam in chemist's eyes.