MAN Energy Solutions Logo
Thursday, February 24, 2022

Methanol Reactor for HIF eFuels Project Starts Cross-Atlantic Journey

World's first integrated plant for the production of synthetic fuels uses technology from MAN Energy Solutions

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.

 

Documents

  • MAN_ES_PM_Methanolreaktor_efuels_DE
    PDF, 687 KB English
  • MAN_ES_PR_methanol_reactor_efuels_ENG
    PDF, 685 KB English

Images

  • MAN_ES_methanol_unit
    JPG, 1445 KB English

Contact

Jan Hoppe

Head of Group Communication & Marketing

Group Communications & MarketingMAN Energy Solutions SEStadtbachstr. 186153 AugsburgGermany

t +49 821 322 3126

Available languages