Production of Solar Hybrid Fuels of DME, Methanol and H₂ in Australia and Shipping to Japan

Solar hybrid fuel production from natural gas using concentrated solar thermal energy in Australia was studied, assuming that 54.6MW/(one unit of solar farm) of the concentrated solar thermal energy is used for the endothermic process of stream reforming (solar steam reforming; SSR) with total solar energy conversion efficiency of 45.5% (120MW of heliostat field; one unit of solar farm). With 23 units of the solar farm, natural gas of 2516t/d can be reformed by the SSR. To ship the product fuel to Japan by existing tankers, the syngas (CO + 3H₂) produced by the SSR is separated into one mole of H₂ (375t/d) and the mixed gas of one mole of CO and two moles of H₂ which is converted to one mole of methanol (6000t/d) to be shipped by existing tankers. The one mole of H₂ will be used in Australia as the H₂ fuel with 25% solar share (CO₂ reduction). To improve cost barrier between oil and the methanol produced by SSR, the CO₂ zero emission process of the combined process of SSR and AT (auto-thermal process) is proposed as the one whose methanol cost can be competitive with oil, when carbon tax is introduced. By shipping the methanol produced by the CO₂ zero emission process of the combined process of SSR-AT (economically feasible), we can reduce CO₂ emission by co-firing coal and methanol at coal-firing power stations in Japan. In this system, an excess H₂ fuel with solar energy is produced, and can be used in Australia.