Inpasa e Vibra estudam produção de metanol verde
A líder do varejo de combustíveis Vibra e a fabricante de etanol de milho Inpasa se uniram para produzir e vender metanol verde no Brasil, em um momento em que armadores buscam opções viáveis para descarbonizar a navegação.
As companhias assinaram um memorando de entendimento para explorar a produção de metanol verde — metanol com zero emissões de carbono, também chamado de e-metanol — a partir de resíduos de etanol.
Inicialmente, serão necessários 180 dias para a conclusão dos estudos em torno do projeto e ambas as partes indicarão representantes para trabalhar na pesquisa. Outros detalhes, incluindo cronogramas e largada na produção, não foram divulgados.
A ideia é converter o CO2 capturado nos processos industriais em metanol verde, disse uma fonte com conhecimento sobre o assunto. Se o projeto for bem-sucedido, o biocombustível deverá ser destinado ao uso marítimo e aos setores industriais.
O metanol é uma matéria-prima chave muito demandada por diferentes setores industriais — incluindo produtos químicos, como fibras poliméricas, plásticos para embalagens, colas, fraldas, tintas, adesivos e solventes. Também serve como combustível ou aditivo de combustível.
Tradicionalmente, o metanol é produzido através de um processo catalítico que utiliza matérias-primas fósseis — como o gás natural ou o carvão —, o que torna as emissões de GEE (gases de efeito estufa) inerentes à sua produção.
O metanol verde pode ser um aliado promissor para reduzir as pegadas de carbono de indústrias com emissões elevadas, inclusive como substituto de combustíveis marítimos. Sua maior vantagem reside na possibilidade de poder compartilhar da infraestrutura já existente no mercado – construída para seus primos fósseis.
O interesse das empresas acontece na esteira de um anúncio semelhante da gigante sucroalcooleira Raízen e da empresa de tecnologia marítima finlandesa Wärtsilä Marine, em outubro do ano passado. As duas estão realizando estudos de viabilidade de motores "flex-álcool", que poderiam funcionar tanto com metanol quanto com etanol.
O governo federal analisa, em parceria com empresas navais e companhias sucroalcooleiras, um caminho para alavancar a adoção do biocombustível no setor naval, em decorrência do compromisso assumido por membros da membros da Organização Marítima Internacional (IMO, na sigla em inglês) em atingir o carbono zero até 2050.
Tal como acontece com o combustível de aviação sustentável (SAF, na sigla em inglês) globalmente, o desafio enfrentado pela indústria marítima poderá abrir uma nova avenida para os produtores brasileiros de etanol, dada a ameaça representada pelo crescente mercado de veículos elétricos.
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Vertex Energy files for bankruptcy, seeks sale
Vertex Energy files for bankruptcy, seeks sale
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EU crushing up in August on rapeseed, US soy harvest
EU crushing up in August on rapeseed, US soy harvest
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California sues ExxonMobil for plastics marketing
California sues ExxonMobil for plastics marketing
Washington, 23 September (Argus) — California has filed a lawsuit against ExxonMobil that alleges the company misled state residents for years by promoting recycling as a solution to plastic waste, despite knowing that most plastic cannot and will not be recycled. California attorney general Rob Bonta said the lawsuit, filed today in state court, would hold ExxonMobil accountable for a "decades-long deception" that he says has exacerbated plastic pollution on land and waters. The state is seeking to block the company from certain marketing claims about recycling, in addition to imposing penalties and contributing to an abatement fund to clean up plastic waste. "ExxonMobil has been deceiving the public to convince us that plastic recycling could solve the plastic waste and pollution crisis when they clearly knew this wasn't possible," Bonta said. ExxonMobil is the world's largest producer of petrochemical polymers used in single-use plastics, the lawsuit says, with 14.5mn t/yr of production capacity of polyethylene and polypropylene last year. The lawsuit comes after an investigation that Bonta launched into the plastic waste "crisis" in 2022. ExxonMobil did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The lawsuit has similarities to climate-related lawsuits that state and local governments have recently filed against ExxonMobil and other oil companies by alleging various violations of state laws on "public nuisance" and misleading advertising. Today's lawsuit cites internal company communications to allege ExxonMobil knowingly promoted deceptive information on recycling to avoid "negative" consumer perceptions about single-use plastics. The lawsuit comes a day after California governor Gavin Newsom (D) signed a law that will ban all plastic bags from being provided at grocery stores in 2026. California law already restricts the availability of thin, single-use plastic bags at stores. Critics said those restrictions led stores to pivot to thicker plastic bags that are mostly thrown away, resulting in a net increase in plastic waste. By Chris Knight Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Industry groups applaud national recycling bill
Industry groups applaud national recycling bill
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