3.5 Methanol

Methanol is the simplest and lightest of the alcohols, and is produced primarily from natural gas. The use of methanol as a motor fuel, received attention during the oil crises of the 1970’s due to its availability and low cost. Problems occurred early in the development of gasoline-methanol blends. It is corrosive to some metals, including aluminium, so modifications to the gasoline fuel delivery systems are required to accommodate methanol use. It is highly toxic raising safety concerns. Its energy content is approximately half that of gasoline by volume, severely limiting its operating range or demanding large on-board fuel storage.

Methanol, due to its high octane rating and high heat of vaporization, can offer increased thermal efficiency and increased power output, compared with gasoline in spark-ignited engines. Methanol, when produced from natural gas, offers limited life-cycle GHG emissions reductions relative to gasoline. This minimal environmental benefit, combined with the storage and handling issues associated with methanol have eliminated most efforts to promote it as a vehicle fuel in North America. OEM’s did build some methanol capable FFV’s in the 1990’s, but these efforts have been discontinued and methanol is no longer being touted as an alternative transportation fuel for internal combustion engines. There are no methanol refuelling stations in Canada.

Methanol can be used to make methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE), an oxygenate that is blended with gasoline to enhance octane and create a cleaner burning fuel. MTBE production and use has declined in recent years because it was found to contaminate ground water. Ethanol, to a large extent, has replaced MTBE as an oxygenate in gasoline. The methanol industry is promoting methanol as a hydrogen source for hydrogen fuel cell technologies and researchers are currently looking at ways to overcome the barriers to using methanol.