Old car engines convert methane into green fuel

Researchers have converted old car engines into modular chemical plants to produce green fuels. The technology can produce environmentally friendly methanol or other chemicals from methane.

Methane is a highly potent greenhouse gas that contributes 84 times more to global warming than CO₂. At the same time, the gas is a valuable raw material that producers use to produce fuels and chemicals. The technology from Emvolon, a spin-off from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), is based on exactly this approach.

The company transforms conventional car engines into small, mobile chemical plants that convert methane into sustainable fuel directly on site. Methane, which is produced in landfills, in agriculture or during oil and gas drilling, is usually burned.

This is because traditional chemical plants are large and centralized, while methane sources are often scattered and difficult to access. But Emvolon now offers a new alternative.

Car engines convert methane into fuel

To do this, the company adjusts a modified car engine so that it only partially burns methane. Built-in components then process the carbon monoxide and hydrogen produced directly into chemicals such as methanol.

Methanol is not only suitable as a clean fuel for ships and trucks, but also as a basis for other sustainable products such as jet fuel. Thanks to the modular design of Emvolon's systems, the modular chemical plants can be used exactly where the methane is produced. An expensive infrastructure in the form of pipelines is not necessary.

Huge cost and time savings

The concept is not only environmentally friendly, but also economically attractive. The systems fit into a standard container and can be ready for use within a few weeks. This represents enormous time and cost savings compared to traditional chemical plants.

The company already has a plant planned in Texas that will produce up to 56,781 liters of green methanol annually. The technology is intended to demonstrate how climate protection and economic efficiency can be combined. In collaboration with renewable energy sources such as wind power, the team would like to produce additional chemicals and fuels such as ammonia in the future.

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