Networking for success: Methanol-based fuels workshop

On 2 April 2025, the symposium “Methanol-based fuels” took place at DECHEMA House in Frankfurt am Main, organised by the “Production” team of the InnoFuels innovation platform. Experts from science and industry came together to discuss the current status of methanol-based fuels and the associated challenges. Incidentally, the idea for this was born almost two years ago during the BMDV Renewable Fuels Conference, when the funding decisions for the twelve projects in the funding line of the same name were presented. As several projects are working intensively on methanol-based fuel pathways and their potential applications, an in-depth exchange was an obvious choice. InnoFuels has now taken up this impulse with the symposium.

In addition to specialist presentations on the ongoing projects, the subsequent workshop discussed specific approaches for accelerating and advancing the development of methanol-based fuels. Key topics included the provision of renewable methanol and the processing of methanol into fuels, new business models for a successful market launch and research issues for further technological development.

The sharing of expertise and collaboration in the working groups proved to be extremely enriching for all participants. It has become clear that the success of methanol-based fuels can be driven decisively by more intensive cooperation between research institutions, industry and start-ups. The event has thus provided an important impetus for further networking between the players and the development of innovative solutions. InnoFuels will continue to actively promote this co-operation and intensify the exchange between the participants in the future. Manuel Glaser