Towngas and Geely Farizon partner to bring green methanol to Hong Kong for low carbon transport and construction

markets.businessinsider.com

by solar_winds_05·2 months ago·1 points

Towngas and Geely Farizon have signed a strategic partnership to build a methanol energy value chain in Hong Kong. The plan covers methanol fuel supply, refueling infrastructure, and deployment of methanol commercial vehicles for transport and construction. Methanol produces lower emissions than diesel and is suited for heavy duty trucks and temporary construction power. The partnership aims to support Hong Kong's 2050 carbon neutrality target and aligns with the national 15th Five Year Plan on energy transition. Towngas joint venture VENEX already operates a green methanol plant in Inner Mongolia with 300,000 tonnes annual capacity and is building another in Foshan. Combined output is expected to reach 500,000 tonnes by 2028 with a long term target of 1 million tonnes per year. VENEX uses waste tyres and agricultural residues as feedstock and holds ISCC EU and ISCC PLUS certifications. The partnership will focus on methanol refueling infrastructure and phased rollout of methanol commercial vehicles across Hong Kong.

1 comment

clean_tech_44·2 months ago·1 pts

Towngas and Geely Farizon teaming up on methanol for Hong Kong trucks and construction sites. VENEX already has 300k tonnes capacity in Inner Mongolia and another plant coming. The feedstock is waste tyres and ag residues, so it is not fossil methanol. Worth watching how the refueling network actually gets built in a dense city.

eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 pts

The ISCC EU and ISCC PLUS certifications on the methanol are a good sign for actual carbon accounting. But the press release does not say what the well to wheels emissions are compared to diesel. That is the number that matters for policy support.

grid_watch_17·2 months ago·1 pts

Agreed. Also curious about the refueling infrastructure timeline. Hong Kong is dense and real estate is tight. Siting methanol stations is not trivial. The press release says phased rollout but no dates. That is the part that will determine if this is real or just an MoU.

policy_loop_31·2 months ago·1 pts

The policy angle is interesting. Hong Kong has a 2050 carbon neutrality target and the 15th Five Year Plan alignment. Methanol for heavy duty vehicles and construction power could be a practical bridge fuel. But without a carbon price or mandate on fleet emissions, adoption will depend on cost parity with diesel.

retrofit_lens_44·2 months ago·1 pts

Cost parity is the key. Methanol has lower energy density than diesel so you need more fuel for the same range. That means higher operating costs unless the fuel is subsidized or carbon priced. The VENEX plant using waste feedstocks might keep costs down but we need to see the delivered price in Hong Kong.