Li Shufu, chairman of Geely Holding Group
On the eve of the two sessions of the National People's Congress in 2022, as a member of the 10th, 11th and 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and a deputy to the 13th National People's Congress, Li Shufu, chairman of Geely Holding Group, announced the proposals on promoting the use of methanol vehicles to help carbon neutrality in the transportation sector and the proposal on increasing the construction of electric vehicle replacement system.
In the "Proposal on Promoting the Application of Methanol Vehicles to Help Carbon Neutrality in the Transportation Sector", Li Shufu believes that the promotion and application of methanol vehicles is the most realistic and effective way to achieve healthy and sustainable development in the transportation sector. He suggested that the application of methanol vehicles should be fully promoted in the mainland, methanol vehicles should be included in the development system and management of new energy vehicles, methanol vehicles should be given the same policy support as new energy vehicles, more enterprises should be driven to invest in the research and development of methanol vehicles, and carbon neutrality in the transportation field should be accelerated.
The following is the full text of the "Proposal on Promoting the Application of Methanol Vehicles to Promote Carbon Neutrality in the Transportation Sector":
The development of methanol vehicles in mainland China has a history of more than 40 years. As a low-carbon, oxygenated fuel, methanol has the characteristics of efficient combustion, clean emissions, renewable green attributes, etc., and is liquid at room temperature and pressure, and storage, transportation and use are safer and more convenient than other new energy and clean energy. At the same time, methanol production sources are extensive, the economy is huge, and the whole industry chain is sustainable. Therefore, methanol has become a new type of clean green energy recognized by the global industry and an important choice for building future green energy.
In 2021, the International Renewable Energy Agency released a research report "Innovation Outlook - Renewable Methanol", which pointed out that low-carbon methanol and green methanol have great potential to reduce emissions and zero emissions, and expanding the production and application of low-carbon methanol can drive the scale of green renewable methanol. In the special report of the "Research on China's Carbon Neutrality Framework Roadmap" of the Academician Conference of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, it is proposed that among the ten technical routes to achieve carbon neutrality in the world, the first two are achieved by capturing CO2 to produce chemical methanol and fuel methanol; the book "China's Energy Transition - Toward Carbon Neutrality" published by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences proposes that methanol can effectively combine hydrogen energy, carbon cycle, electric energy substitution, and fuel substitution technologies, which is an important link in the application of carbon neutrality.
It can be seen that methanol will play an extremely important role in establishing a clean, low-carbon, safe and efficient energy system. Promoting the use of methanol vehicles is the most realistic and effective way to achieve healthy and sustainable development in the field of transportation.
First, the development of methanol vehicles can promote the development of green methanol, drive the scale of green methanol, completely based on the actual conditions of the country, in line with the mainland "carbon peak", "carbon neutrality" orderly and steady promotion of the purpose
(1) Contributions to energy conservation and emission reduction
Methanol vehicles are highly energy efficient. The calorific value ratio of methanol to gasoline is 2.2:1, and according to the pilot operation data of continental methanol vehicles, the actual consumption ratio of methanol to gasoline on the car is about 1.7:1. As a result, methanol vehicles are energy efficient by about 21% and CO2 emissions are reduced by about 26% compared to gasoline vehicles.
Methanol production has great potential for energy conservation and emission reduction. Modern coal-to-methanol technology is coupled with renewable energy to green hydrogen green oxygen technology, which can achieve zero emissions in the methanol production process. Coke oven gas rich hydrogen and CO2 synthesis methanol process technology combined to produce 1 ton of methanol can absorb about 900 kg of CO2 emissions in the environment. Therefore, the carbon emissions of the end use of methanol vehicles will also be further reduced.
(b) Carbon neutral contribution
"Electric methanol" produced by electrolysis of water to hydrogen and capture of CO2 from renewable energy sources, as well as biomass methanol prepared from straw and municipal waste, are all green renewable methanol. The application of this renewable methanol can achieve carbon balance. Therefore, methanol has become an important choice for many countries to achieve carbon neutrality in the transportation sector.
Second, the development of methanol vehicles can ensure the energy security of the mainland, especially the liquid energy security in the field of transportation
The dependence of mainland oil on foreign countries exceeds 70%, and oil consumption in the transportation field accounts for more than 70%, which shows that the mainland's energy security is mainly reflected in the security of liquid energy. Among the many new energy and clean energy sources in the field of transportation (electricity, hydrogen energy, natural gas, ammonia, etc.), methanol is the only liquid energy at room temperature and pressure, with excellent fuel characteristics, safe and convenient use, and the combustion characteristics of gasoline and diesel.
Therefore, the development of methanol fuel and the promotion of the use of methanol vehicles are one of the important measures to ensure energy security in the mainland.
Third, the development of methanol vehicles can continue the vitality of the dominant driving force of the mainland internal combustion engine
As the leading driving force of road, non-road mobile machinery and national defense equipment, the internal combustion engine has developed in the world for more than 100 years, and has established a very complete and safe and effective infrastructure system for gasoline and diesel storage and application. Among the current alternative energy sources, methanol fuel, which has similar characteristics to gasoline and diesel fuels, can be fully applied to ignition and compression combustion engines, and liquid properties at room temperature and pressure. In other words, methanol is the only new energy source that can inherit advanced internal combustion engine technology. Methanol has significant advantages in infrastructure investment, changes in usage patterns, and impact on related industries.
suggestion
The "14th Five-Year Plan for Industrial Green Development" issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the Mainland officially includes methanol vehicles in green products and proposes to promote the promotion of alternative fuel vehicles such as methanol vehicles. At present, in the field of water transport, the development of methanol ships has been fully launched at home and abroad to lead the shipping industry to carbon neutrality in advance. The relevant regulations, guidelines, design, construction and inspection of methanol fuel ships in mainland China have been established; the development of methanol green intelligent ships and marine methanol engines has received major national special support; and the relevant shipyards have started the construction of methanol fuel ships.
In the field of land transportation, the technology of methanol fuel and methanol vehicles in the mainland is more mature. Since the "Sixth Five-Year Plan", the research, development and demonstration application of methanol fuel and methanol vehicles have been supported by relevant ministries and commissions of the state. From 2012 to 2018, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the Mainland took the lead in organizing a large-scale pilot operation project for methanol vehicles, which comprehensively verified the environmental protection, applicability and reliability of methanol fuel and methanol vehicle applications.
The development of methanol fuel is completely based on the mainland's "coal-rich, oil-scarce, gas-poor" energy resource endowment reality, methanol's energy-saving and emission-reduction potential and future contribution to carbon neutrality, which is internationally recognized. The development of methanol fuel in the mainland and the promotion and application of methanol vehicles are of great significance to the realization of the strategic goal of double carbon in the field of transportation, ensuring energy security, and promoting healthy and sustainable economic development.
Therefore, it is recommended to comprehensively promote the application of methanol vehicles in the mainland, incorporate methanol vehicles into the development system and management of new energy vehicles, give methanol vehicles the same policy support as new energy vehicles, drive more enterprises to invest in the research and development of methanol vehicles, and accelerate the realization of carbon neutrality in the transportation field.