Proposed Florida bio-methanol project targets shipping demand

US-based startup Demeter Energy plans to build a 100,000 mt/year bio-methanol production plant at the Port of Manatee (SeaPort Manatee) in Florida.

IMAGE: Aerial view of the Port of Manatee in Florida, US. SeaPort Manatee

SeaPort Manatee is a deepwater port at the entrance to Tampa Bay on the eastern Gulf of Mexico, with access to trade routes through the Panama Canal.

The planned facility is expected to produce up to 100,000 mt/year of bio-methanol from woody biomass and other organic waste, targeting demand from the shipping sector as well as other industries.

The plant will also include a carbon capture and storage (CCS) system designed to capture around 200,000 mt/year of CO2 generated during the production process.

SeaPort Manatee provides the infrastructure, logistics and market access needed to develop the project, Demeter Energy chief executive Tom Walklett said.

Demeter Energy has not specified a development or production timeline for the project.

The company eventually plans to develop modular bio-methanol plants across the US, with individual production capacities ranging from around 100,000-250,000 mt/year.

By Konica Bhatt

Please get in touch with comments or additional info to news@engine.online