Vast, Mabanaft award SM1 engineering contracts to Fichtner, bse Methanol

Vast Renewables announced a significant milestone in the development of its green methanol plant, SM1. Vast and its consortium partner, global energy company Mabanaft, have awarded international engineering group Fichtner and German e-fuels leader bse Methanol contracts to commence pre-front-end engineering and design work. This follows the appointment of Dr. Amy Philbrook, Arup’s Australasia Clean Fuels Technical Lead, as Project Manager. Part of the Port Augusta Green Energy Hub in South Australia, SM1 will have the capacity to produce 7,500 tonnes of green methanol each year. Methanol is one of the most versatile hydrogen derivatives and, if produced using clean energy, it has the potential to decarbonise shipping and aviation fuels. SM1 will be supplied with baseload clean and renewable heat from Vast’s 30 MW / 240 MWh concentrated solar thermal power plant. Fichtner has extensive experience designing and engineering renewable energy projects globally, including energy storage and hydrogen, and has played a key role in the development of SM1. Fichtner’s role in the project builds off their recent report that highlighted using CSP in green fuels production can potentially reduce costs by up to 40 percent. SM1 is a first-of-its-kind project that can demonstrate this potential and catalyse Australia’s green fuels industry and a global pipeline of projects. Pre-FEED is a critical milestone in the project’s development. A key part of Fichtner’s work will involve integrating the proven technologies to produce green methanol: Leilac calcination plant from fellow Australian technology company, Calix, to capture unavoidable process carbon dioxide produced in the making of cement and lime Methanol plant, with German technology company bse Methanol acting as process provider and Original Equipment Manufacturer. bse Methanol has developed the FlexMethanol modules which enable the economic conversion of energy and carbon dioxide from flue gas into a chemical energy store by means of modular and decentralised production units. Electrolysis plant to produce hydrogen: Vast is planning to develop SM1 with consortium partner Mabanaft, a global energy company, after signing a joint development agreement in June 2024. The project has secured funding agreements for up to A$19.48M from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency and up to EUR12.4M from Projekttrager Julich on behalf of the German government.