Journal article
Decentralised CO2 capture − methanol synthesis integrated with air conditioning system for green building infrastructure
Fuel, Vol.424, pp.1-15
15/11/2026
Metrics
1 Record Views
Abstract
While the use of fossil fuels in energy production, transportation, and industry produces most man-made CO2 emissions, there are other, highly distributed yet usable CO2 sources in our modern urban centres, that are often overlooked. CO2 in building return air is one of them. This study proposes a decentralised approach to CO2 capture in densely populated commercial environments, such as office tower buildings or shopping malls, by integrating green hydrogen production, methanol synthesis and energy storage within the existing building infrastructure. The goal is to enhance energy efficiency in modern buildings and lower carbon emissions from grid electricity via a decentralised energy storage solution that can be tuned to peak solar energy production.
Three scenarios were evaluated: 1) crude methanol production, 2) concentrated methanol production, and 3) methanol production, coupled with electricity generation from a methanol fuel cell. Among these, the crude methanol production scenario required the lowest capital investment at 4.02 million AUD. In contrast, producing concentrated methanol offered potential carbon tax savings of up to 1.27 million AUD. The use of high-temperature methanol fuel cells achieved the lowest energy requirement at 105.0 kW, helping to offset grid electricity demand. Scenario selection can be tailored to specific cases based on investment capacity and local/global market needs. Process simulations and a structured techno-economic uncertainty analysis were used to assess the feasibility of these approaches, identifying the operational labour model as the dominant source of cost uncertainty and the conditions under which economic viability is approached. The system offers a promising pathway for urban decarbonisation and the deployment of renewable energy in remote or isolated areas with limited grid access.
Details
- Title
- Decentralised CO2 capture − methanol synthesis integrated with air conditioning system for green building infrastructure
- Creators
- Chao’en Li - CSIEWenjun Li - Wenzhou UniversityAaron William Thornton - CSIMChristian H. Hornung - CSIRO ManufacturingJosé Orellana - CSIEThomas M. Kohl - CSIM
- Publication Details
- Fuel, Vol.424, pp.1-15
- Publisher
- Elsevier Ltd
- Identifiers
- 991013372761602368
- Copyright
- © 2026 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Science and Engineering; Engineering
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article