The Swiss specialty chemicals group will provide its catalysis expertise and broad portfolio of synthesis gas (syngas) conditioning and upgrading catalysts to support Ineratec’s gas-to-liquids technology.

Stefan Heuser, senior vice president & general manager at Clariant Catalysts, commented: “We are honored to support Ineratec in their pioneering work in sustainable fuel production. Their state-of-the-art container-sized gas-to-liquid technology has great potential for the decentralized fuel market and we are excited to contribute with our tailor-made syngas catalyst innovations.”

The key feature of Ineratec’s technology is that the entire process is achieved in transportable container units. The microstructured core of the modular reactors provides a large surface for heat and mass transport, meaning that highly exothermic reactions, such as methanol synthesis or CO₂ hydrogenation, can be operated efficiently and safely in compact, container-sized plants, with “outstanding” reactor productivity.
 

The technology combines hydrogen generated from renewable power with greenhouse gases such as CO₂, to form CO₂-neutral synthetic hydrocarbons and fuels. It relies on Clariant’s catalysts, such as MegaMax for renewable methanol or METH 134 for producing renewable synthetic natural gas, to convert the CO₂ into chemicals, fuels and additives.

In April, Ineratec announced that it had agreed to use Sasol’s Fischer-Tropsch catalysts, broadening its portfolio and extending its Power-to-X and gas-to-liquids solutions for producing sustainable fuels and products.