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Natural Gas Initiative is a cross-campus effort of the Precourt Institute for Energy.

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Opportunities and Challenges for Methanol as a Global Liquid Energy Carrier

Event Details:

Monday, July 31, 2017 - Tuesday, August 1, 2017

Methanol has many attractive characteristics for use in energy applications. It is a simple, single-chemical liquid fuel that burns cleanly and, depending on production and use methods, can be lower carbon intensity than other liquid fuels. As a commodity that is presently produced and traded globally, the technologies in use for production and use of methanol are well understood. However, future improvements could provide pathways for methanol to serve as a low-carbon or carbon-neutral liquid fuel and energy storage medium that could have applications in transportation, renewable power storage, distributed power, and global energy movements.

The purpose of this meeting is to explore the opportunities and obstacles for methanol to expand its role in energy systems, especially in the developing world, as a mechanism to address indoor and outdoor air pollution, lower carbon intensity, and move toward an increasingly sustainable global energy system.

Confirmed Keynote Speaker

The Honorable Kevin Rudd, President, Asia Society Policy Institute and 26th Prime Minister of Australia

Session Topics

  1. Potential for Expanded Use of Methanol in Energy Systems
  2. Production of Methanol – Improvements to Current Processes and Potential for New Approaches
  3. Environmental and Human Health with Expanded Use of Methanol: Risks and Benefits
  4. International Energy and Environmental Policies and the Methanol Economy
  5. The Indian Initiative on the Methanol Economy
  6. Global Experience with Methanol in Energy Applications
  7. Liquid Sunshine: Opportunities for Low Carbon and Carbon Neutral Methanol Pathways
  8. How Do Policy and Business Work Together to Enable Use of Methanol in the Energy System?

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