The climate technology company and sustainable raw materials producer Perpetual Next has demonstrated through independent external test results that its bio carbon has achieved optimal quality standards. This makes it immediately and widely applicable within the existing global methanol production chain. With this breakthrough, the chemical industry can transition from fossil-based methanol to biomethanol. While fossil methanol and biomethanol are molecularly identical, biomethanol is the sustainable alternative, produced from organic waste streams. New legislation is compelling the chemical industry to transition gradually from methanol to biomethanol or e-methanol.
Methanol in the Chemical Industry
Methanol is one of the most widely used raw materials in the chemical industry. Nearly half of all methanol globally is used in the production of plastics, adhesives, and paints, which can now be produced more sustainably. A key enabler of this transition is the torrefaction technology owned by Perpetual Next.
The bio carbon produced using this proprietary technology is now, thanks to recent advancements, fully compatible with existing gasification processes. This “drop-in” compatibility allows it to integrate seamlessly into the current methanol production chain. Additionally, an agreement has been reached for the technology used in methanol synthesis, with further details to be announced by the respective business partners shortly.
Validation by Industry Leaders
The quality of Perpetual Next’s bio carbon was tested by the globally renowned engineering firm Claudius Peters, while the gasification process was carried out by Air Products, a world leader in industrial gases, technologies, and services. These test results mark the culmination of a €140 million R&D investment programme, fully dedicated to torrefaction technology.
This achievement not only establishes Perpetual Next as the global leader in torrefaction technology but also positions the company as the holder of the world’s largest potential production capacity for biomethanol, with four production facilities in various stages of development.
Strategic Partnerships and Global Impact
Rene Buwalda, CEO of Perpetual Next, highlighted the importance of collaboration:
“Our strategic partnerships with global industry leaders have allowed us to realise the potential of torrefaction technology for biomethanol production on a global scale.”
Overcoming Past Challenges
Dry organic residues represent the largest available volume of feedstock for biomethanol production. This potential has driven numerous global initiatives aimed at gasifying these residues. However, the lack of an effective pre-treatment technology, such as Perpetual Next’s torrefaction, led to the failure of many of these initiatives, resulting in billions of euros in write-offs for competitors.
Perpetual Next, through its successful combination of torrefaction and gasification, has now overcome this challenge. This breakthrough significantly enhances the value of its existing biomethanol production facilities under development.
Buwalda explains: “Perpetual Next and our certificate holders have been committed to decades of R&D to perfect this union of torrefaction and gasification. The €140 million investment in torrefaction R&D was a significant step, but in light of the value of our projects in development, it was undoubtedly the best investment the company could have made. We are fortunate that, in addition to the maritime sector, regulatory changes are now pushing the chemical industry to transition to sustainable methanol alternatives.”
With this achievement, Perpetual Next is poised to drive the global shift towards sustainable biomethanol production, cementing its position as a leader in climate technology and renewable raw materials.
