A Mini-Review on Recent Developments and Improvements in CO2 Catalytic Conversion to Methanol: Prospects for the Cement Plant Industry

The cement industry significantly impacts the environment due to natural resource extraction and fossil fuel combustion, with carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions being a major concern. The industry emits 0.6 tons of CO2 per ton of cement, accounting for about 8% of global CO2 emissions. To meet the 13th United Nations Sustainable Development Goal, cement plants aim for carbon neutrality by 2050 through reducing CO2 emissions and adopting Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) technologies. A promising approach is converting CO2 into valuable chemicals and fuels, such as methanol (MeOH), using Power-to-Liquid (PtL) technologies. This process involves capturing CO2 from cement plant flue gas and using hydrogen from renewable sources to produce renewable methanol (e-MeOH). Advancing the development of novel, efficient catalysts for direct CO2 hydrogenation is crucial. This comprehensive mini-review presents a holistic view of recent advancements in CO2 catalytic conversion to MeOH, focusing on catalyst performance, selectivity, and stability. It outlines a long-term strategy for utilizing captured CO2 emissions from cement plants to produce MeOH, offering an experimental roadmap for the decarbonization of the cement industry.