Facility and method for producing a globally usable energy carrier

A production plant for a globally usable energy carrier comprising:

• a photovoltaic unit for converting solar energy into electricity and having a capacity of at least 1.0 gigawatt;
• a water supply unit having a seawater desalination unit for production of desalinated water having an intake capacity of at least 900,000 tons of seawater per year;
• an electrolysis unit for the production of hydrogen connected by at least one pipeline to the desalinated water of the water supply unit;
• a carbon dioxide absorption unit for absorbing carbon dioxide from ambient air and having an extraction capacity of at least 400,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year;
• and
• a methanol synthesis unit for producing methanol connected by a first pipeline to the electrolysis unit for supplying hydrogen and connected by a second pipeline to the carbon dioxide absorption unit for supplying carbon dioxide, wherein the methanol synthesis unit and the carbon dioxide absorption unit are connected for transferring heat generated during methanol synthesis, wherein the water supply unit, the electrolysis unit, the carbon dioxide absorption unit and the methanol synthesis unit each are connected to the photovoltaic unit for supplying electrical power and are further configured and arranged in a contiguous plant area aboard the energy carrier, wherein the photovoltaic unit is configured and adapted to capture at least 1500 kWh/m2a of solar energy, and wherein the methanol synthesis unit has an output capacity of at least 300,000 tons of regeneratively produced methanol per year.

A method for production in a production plant of a globally usable energy carrier comprising:

• converting solar energy into electricity using a photovoltaic unit at a peak is power of at least 1.0 gigawatt absorbing at least 1500 kWh/m e a of solar energy;
• producing desalinated water from at least 900,000 tons of seawater per year using a desalination unit supplied with electricity by the photovoltaic unit;
• producing hydrogen from the desalinated water using an electrolysis unit supplied with electricity by the photovoltaic unit and supplied with desalinated water via a first pipeline from the desalination unit;
• absorbing at least 400,000 tons of carbon dioxide from ambient air via a carbon dioxide absorption unit supplied with electricity by the photovoltaic unit;
• synthesizing at least 300,000 tons per year of methanol regeneratively using a methanol synthesis unit supplied with hydrogen through a second pipeline from the electrolysis unit and supplied with carbon dioxide through a third pipeline from the carbon dioxide absorption unit, and supplied with electricity from the photovoltaic unit, wherein the methanol synthesis unit and the carbon dioxide absorption unit are connected for transferring heat generated during methanol synthesis.

A system for the formation of a global carbon dioxide cycle with regeneratively produced methanol as an energy carrier comprising:

• a photovoltaic unit for converting solar energy into electricity and having a capacity of at least 1.0 gigawatt;
• a water supply unit having a seawater desalination unit for production of desalinated water having an intake capacity of at least 900,000 tons of seawater per year;
• an electrolysis unit for the production of hydrogen connected by at least one pipeline to the desalinated water of the water supply unit;
• a carbon dioxide absorption unit for absorbing carbon dioxide from ambient air and having an extraction capacity of at least 400,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year;
• a methanol synthesis unit for regeneratively producing methanol connected by a first pipeline to the electrolysis unit for supplying hydrogen and connected by a second pipeline to the carbon dioxide absorption unit for supplying carbon dioxide, wherein the methanol synthesis unit and the carbon dioxide absorption unit are connected for transferring heat generated during methanol synthesis, wherein the water supply unit, the electrolysis unit, the carbon dioxide absorption unit and the methanol synthesis unit each are connected to the photovoltaic unit for supplying electrical power and are further configured and arranged in a contiguous plant area aboard the energy carrier, wherein the photovoltaic unit is configured and adapted to capture at least 1500 kWh/m2a of solar energy, and wherein the methanol synthesis unit has an output capacity of at least 300,000 tons of regeneratively produced methanol per year;
• and
• a transport system connectable to the methanol synthesis unit and adapted to transport the regeneratively produced methanol from the methanol synthesis unit to at least one of (i) an output device or (ii) a distribution system configured and adapted to distribute the transported methanol from the output device to end users for combustion, wherein the carbon dioxide produced and released into atmosphere during combustion of the transported methanol is removable from the atmosphere directly or indirectly by the carbon dioxide absorption unit.

A method for formation of a global carbon dioxide cycle with regeneratively produced methanol as an energy carrier comprising:

• converting solar energy into electricity using a photovoltaic unit at a peak power of at least 1.0 gigawatt absorbing at least 1500 kWh/m2a of solar energy;
• producing desalinated water from at least 900,000 tons of seawater per year using a desalination unit supplied with electricity by the photovoltaic unit;
• producing hydrogen from the desalinated water using an electrolysis unit supplied with electricity by the photovoltaic unit and supplied with desalinated water via a first pipeline from the desalination unit;
• absorbing at least 400,000 tons of carbon dioxide from ambient air via a carbon dioxide absorption unit supplied with electricity by the photovoltaic unit;
• synthesizing at least 300,000 tons per year of methanol regeneratively using a methanol synthesis unit supplied with hydrogen through a second pipeline from the electrolysis unit and supplied with the carbon dioxide through a third pipeline from the carbon dioxide absorption unit, and supplied with electricity from the photovoltaic unit;
• and transporting the synthesized methanol via a transport system connectable to the methanol synthesis unit and adapted to transport the synthesized methanol from the methanol synthesis unit to at least one of (i) an output device or (ii) a distribution system configured and adapted to distribute the transported synthesized methanol from the output device to end users for combustion, wherein the carbon dioxide produced and released into atmosphere during combustion of the transported synthesized methanol is removable from the atmosphere directly or indirectly by the carbon dioxide absorption unit.