Report on Methanol Plant has been represented in International Conference

In April 19-20, 2012, in Ashgabad city the Turkmenistan Academy of Sciences conducted International scientific conference named as "Innovative technologies of processing of the Turkmenistan natural resources”. Representatives of different countries from all over the world, including the Republic of Azerbaijan, Japan, China, Russia, India, Austria, Finland, Romania, Czechia, etc, took part in this conference by invitation of the Turkmenistan Academy of Sciences.
On the part of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the conference the corresponding member of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, Ph.D. in chemistry, professor, director of the Institute of Petrochemical Processes Mr. Vagif Maharram oglu Abbasov made a report "Chemical reagents created by the Institute of Petrochemical Processes (IPCP) under the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences for oil and gas production and oil refining industries” Ph.D. in engineering Hikmat Jamal oglu Ibrahimov made a report "Methanol plant – innovative technologies in gas industry”. The both these reports were inside the top three in the department of "Innovative technologies in processing of the Turkmenistan hydrocarbon resources and petrochemistry”.

Report of Ph.D. in engineering Hikmat Ibrahimov:
«Dear conference participants!
Let me to welcome all of you and to express mu gratitude to the organizers for the invitation and the opportunity to participate in this conference and for rendered warm welcome.
The "AzMeKo Group" Company executing activities in the energy sector plans to build new chemical plants on methanol production in Azerbaijan using the most up-to-date technologies. The Plant’s capacity is 720,000 tons of methanol per year, the feedstick is natural gas, the total volume of investments is $ 400 million.
Methanol is the source of energy of the 21st century. The concept of methanol economy is the real way to solve the energy problems of the century. Currently methanol industry is spread across the globe with numerous manufacturing facilities located in Asia, North and South America, Europe, Africa, and in the Middle East. Methanol is one of the major multi-tonnage products of chemical industry. A large number of important chemical compounds such as organic chemicals, synthetic resins and plastics, fibers, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, MTBE and TAME ethers used as an octane boosters, anti-knock additives (lead substitutes), and oxygenates have been produced on its basis. Methanol is also used as a fuel and, in part or in whole, as a substitute of motor fuels: gasoline, diesel and fuel oil. The high level of global demand for it is stipulated by the significant growth in demand for its main derivatives - formaldehyde and mainly MTBE, and acetic acid.
The largest producers of methanol in the world are the Methanex company (Vancouver, Canada) having its plants in the U.S., Canada, Chile and New Zealand, as well as SABIC which has already built four methanol unit in Saudi Arabia. The SABIC Company controls the methanol production and obtaining of methyl-tert-butyl ether (MTBE) in Saudi Arabia. This company also intends to develop other areas of methanol processing, namely, the production of acetic acid and vinyl acetate.
The advantages of large units occur due to "economies of scale" and latest technological developments applied in them. Due to these factors it is managed to reduce the specific capital expenses up to $ 330-350 per ton in large methanol plants (800 tons per year and more) that is significantly lower than the rate of capital expenses for previous-generation units.
In recent years taking into consideration the planned projects remarcable changes in the regional structure of methanol production capacity occur in the world market. Changes in the regional structure of its production capacity can be called radical. First of all, a sharp reduction in the production of methanol in the region of North America comes under notice. Due to the rise in price of natural gas methanol production in the region has become economically unsound. Until almost recently the U.S. operated 3 units. In 2006 only one of them was operated, the units located in Canada and Mexico have been closed. The loss of demand for methanol in the region of North America can be explained by the ban on methyl-tert-butyl ether (MTBE) in the gasoline market of the U.S. Application of MTBE, however, is still allowed in Mexico, as well as in a number of chemical synthesis processes in the U.S. The American market is moving in the direction of refusal from production operations with methanol. However, taking unto consideration the fact that the conventional consumers of methanol persist (formaldehyde, acetic acid, methyl methacrylate, etc.), as well as the development of biodiesel production where methanol is one of components of biodiesel production, the American methanol market will still remain large, although it will reduce its scope. However, the center of methanol production will move to Saudi Arabia, Iran, Chile, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Among the new synthesis processes based on methanol capable to be developed in the near future, except for the already widely-used method of production of acetic acid on the basis of technology proposed by the Monsanto Company (USA) the following ones should be called:

• obtaining of acetic anhydride by carbonylation of methyl acetate produced from Methanol, as well as by the direct carbonylation of Methanol;
• obtaining of vinyl acetate via the intermediate synthesis of methyl acetate or ethyl acetate;
• obtaining of low-molecular olefins by the technology proposed by the BASF Company (Germany), however this trend currently cannot compete with the conventional methods of pyrolysis;
• obtaining of ethanol and acetaldehyde by reductive carbonylation and homologation of methanol, however this trend is also futureless because of the small demand for them as intermediate products for petrochemical synthesis processes. Opportunities of these technologies may increase in case of sharp rise in oil prices;
• obtaining of dimethyl ether (as a by-product in the synthesis of methanol) for its further usage as a component of diesel and motor fuels. However, direct synthesis of dimethyl ether leaving the methanol out may be more cost-effective;
• obtaining of ethyl acetate by synthesis from methanol, acetic acid, and synthesis gas, as demand for ethyl acetate as the solvent is continuously growing, etc.

One of the new application areas of methanol is the agricultural sector (to regulate the process of photosynthesis, particularly by spraying plants with a dilute methanol in the solar period of plants’ growth). If successful, this area can take a global character and increase the total demand for methanol.
Another potential application area of ​​methanol is its use in fuel cells.
Among the new application areas of methanol obtaining of dimethyl ether (DME) can be called as the most promising one. This product may be an alternative to the use of liquefied propane and butane in the motor transport. DME is sufficiently attractive fuel; its use can reduce the amount of emissions to meet the requirements of Euro 3 and Euro 4 standards. Unfortunately, Russia is very inert in the use of alternative fuels.
Methanol is also applicable for the production of biodiesel, since biodiesel is a methyl ester of fatty acids. In many world countries extensive programs of production of biodiesel safe for the environment have been developed.
Methanol is a global product and one of the key elements of our today’s life, and new areas of its application open up the way to innovations.
Scientists of the Institute of Petrochemical Processes named after Y.G. Mammadaliyev developed a highly efficient nanostructured catalyst by the insertion of salts of transition metals (Zr, Zn, Fe, Ni, etc.) in the composition of the nanocarbon (pyrolysis of the CTC catalyst) in the "in situ" mode. This catalyst is capable to synthesize dimethyl ether and low-molecular olefins from methane via methanol with high yield. The selectivity by DME is 98-99%. Our researchs in this direction are continued".