Process Design for the Directly Coupled Production of Methanol and Formaldehyde Based on CO₂

Sustainable hydrogen generation is preferred over production from fossil sources in the context of a carbon‐neutral economy. As a result, production costs for CO 2 ‐based products are estimated to be much higher than those of their fossil equivalents. Hence, it is essential to optimize process chains regarding their hydrogen efficiency. In this study, a concept for the directly coupled production of CO 2 ‐based methanol and formaldehyde in a modified silver catalyst process is evaluated regarding the utilization of H 2 . Detailed simulations in Aspen Plus allow the comparison to the separately operated synthesis of green methanol and formaldehyde. By directly connecting both production steps, utilization ratios of introduced H 2 and CO 2 could be improved, reaching values of 98 % and 99 %, respectively.