A Novel Green Hydrogen-Driven and Carbon-Negative Complex for Polygeneration of Methanol and Fischer–Tropsch Hydrocarbons

Given the critical need for scalable technologies that decouple industrial production from fossil feedstocks, this study introduces a green hydrogen-driven and carbon-negative industrial complex that employs renewable energy to simultaneously produce methanol and Fischer–Tropsch hydrocarbon products via feedstocks of carbon dioxide (CO2) and water. The proposed complex (FARMOW) integrates six major sections: (i) a Fischer–Tropsch synthesis process (FTSP), (ii) an alkaline water electrolysis process (AWEP), (iii) a reverse water–gas shift process (RWGSP), (iv) a methanol synthesis process (MSP), (v) an off-gas combustion process (OGCP), and (vi) a water treatment process (WTP). In this complex, the green hydrogen produced from AWEP is reacted with CO2 from a carbon capture unit and sent to the MSP and FTSP sections, respectively, to generate methanol and Fischer–Tropsch hydrocarbon products. The byproduct (water) from the complex is utilized to generate steam through rigorous process simulation, and the technical efficacy of the complex has been modeled and validated, yielding high-value hydrocarbons, methanol, steam, and oxygen. Furthermore, a comprehensive techno-economic assessment with sensitivity analysis is performed to evaluate the commercial flexibility of the system under varying market conditions.