The Allure Of Methanol

G . H. Smith's letter makes the salient point that plans to utilize carbon dioxide for chemical production, such as the production of methanol, are unlikely to be based on extracting the parts-per-million concentrations of CO₂ in the atmosphere that cause climatologists so much consternation (C&EN, July 13, page 4). Finding a use for the surplus carbon dioxide that is removed at natural gas purification plants seems one logical place to obtain economically attractive CO₂ concentrations in large volumes. Is not the twinning of ammonia and methanol production from natural-gas-derived syngas, in essence, another means by which to source low-cost CO₂?

Jonathan Targett
London