Engineering360: "Trio to test carbon dioxide-to-methanol process"

Both CO2 & CO can be converted to Methane using H2 in the presence of a Ni catalyst. CH4 is a cleaner, more readily useable fuel.

Methanol is, with respect to CO2 emissions, also a clean fuel. Besides, it is much better regarding economic figures. Methane (or SNG, synthetic natural gas) out of waste CO2 and "green" hydrogen cannot be produced at competitive costs. But "green" methanol ca, in certain regions of the world (where electricity prices are low (Norway, Iceland, for example, making use of hydro power (8.760 hrs per year).

love the idea of capturing the CO2, a very good start, just wish something else like a solid could be made from it. Burning the methanol just releases the CO2 and we are right back where dwe started from.

Of course, burning the methane (or preferibly methanol) releases the same amount of CO2 previously captured. But it reduces the total amount of carbon dioxide emitted in both processes by 50 % ("second use") because for instance "green" methanol if used as a fuel (or mixed with gasoline) replaces the corresponding amount of crude oil otherwise required to produce the conventional fuel ..