Motivation

Power-to-Methanol (PtM) technology is a promising solution for converting renewable electricity and captured carbon dioxide into sustainable methanol, enabling the transition towards a circular carbon economy. At the Institute for Micro Process Engineering (IMVT), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), an innovative hybrid PtM process has been developed that simultaneously captures CO₂ and produces renewable methanol.

In this process, biogas is upgraded to biomethane, which is conventionally injected into the natural gas grid. However, since the technology is primarily designed for decentralized and remote installations, grid access may not always be available, limiting the utilization of the upgraded methane. In addition, uncaptured CO₂ and CO₂ contained in the reactor purge stream are currently released to the atmosphere, reducing the overall carbon utilization efficiency of the process.

To maximize the environmental and economic benefits of the technology, innovative process concepts are required to utilize both the upgraded methane and the remaining carbon streams within the plant, enabling a closed-loop carbon utilization system. This thesis will investigate and evaluate different methane utilization pathways and identify the most promising process configuration through simulation and techno-economic analysis.

Objectives

The main objectives of this thesis are:

• - Conduct a comprehensive literature review on potential methane utilization pathways suitable for decentralized Power-to-Methanol systems.
• - Develop and compare different process configurations for integrating methane utilization into the existing hybrid PtM process.
• - Perform process simulations using Aspen Plus (or Aspen HYSYS) for the selected value chains.
• - Carry out parametric and sensitivity analyses to identify the optimum operating conditions.
• - Evaluate the influence of key operating parameters on methanol production, carbon utilization efficiency, and energy consumption.
• - Compare the techno-economic performance (CAPEX and OPEX) of the conventional process with the proposed methane utilization concepts.
• - Identify the most promising pathway for achieving improved carbon circularity and economic feasibility.

Required Expertise

Applicants should ideally have:

• - Basic knowledge of Chemical Engineering and reaction engineering.
• - Experience with process simulation software (preferably Aspen Plus or Aspen HYSYS).
• - Interest in renewable energy systems, carbon capture, and Power-to-X technologies.
• - Curiosity and motivation to develop innovative process concepts.
• - Basic English communication and writing skills.

Why this thesis?

• - Work on a cutting-edge renewable fuel technology currently being demonstrated at KIT.
• - Contribute to the development of next-generation decentralized carbon-neutral fuel production.
• - Gain hands-on experience in process simulation, optimization, and techno-economic assessment.
• - Opportunity to contribute to ongoing national and European research projects in Power-to-X technologies.