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Biomass syngas as the intermediate product of utilization biomass to liquid fuel, bio-methanol. The syngas production itself was conducted due to its environmentally clean fuel and reducing greenhouse effect. The syngas was subject to low cost catalytic methanol synthesis assessment in term of low pressure and low temperature using high local content was developed in BPPT Indonesia. The catalyst has key role to achieve optimal conditions through lowering energy activation. BPPT has developed the methanol synthesis with Cu-based impregnation catalyst using γ-Al2O3 and Activated-Carbon from palm oil shell as support catalyst. Previous experiments delivered maximum methanol product reached 8 % by operational condition 14 bar and 260°C which closed to equilibrium concentration. Further work studied more detail using internal standard and simulation by MATLAB 2014. By this condition 4% of CO was converted to methanol. Validation conducted in micromeritic at 260°C of the simulation showed maximum yield based on H2 conversion reached up to 35.39 and 31.17% at 14 and 17 bars respectively. CO conversion calculation gave maximum yield up to 36.39 and 35.45% at 14 and 17 bars respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Syngas of biomass is touted as an alternative energy due to its environmentally clean fuel and reducing greenhouse effect. Utilization of biomass through gasification is usually intended for power generation and produce syngas. The syngas of biomass is proposed for methanol production using local catalyst. The assessment of methanol production for low cost, low temperature and low pressure was conducted by local catalyst that has been developed. The role of the catalyst is the key to achieve optimal conditions through lower activation energy. This study is highlighting the methanol synthesis with Cu-based impregnation catalyst using γ Al2O3 and Activated-Carbon as the support catalyst. Experiments were carried out for the methanol synthesis at low pressure, 14 bar, and low temperature, from 200 to 260°C. As the result, both catalysts were comparable with a commercial catalyst. Methanol production was good reproducibility. At 260°C, methanol production of both local catalysts reached 8 %, close to equilibrium concentration, while the commercial catalyst was only 2.4%. However, at lower temperature, the methanol production using the local catalysts was less than 0.28% at 200°C and increase by raising temperature. Thus, methanol production was influenced by reaction rate which was much lower than equilibrium state. Scaling up methanol synthesis of commercial catalyst reached 5.2% because of retention time extended. In addition, liquid product was harvested but only 0.9% methanol concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]