INNOVATIVE CATALYTIC TECHNOLOGIES & MATERIALS FOR NEXT GAS TO LIQUID PROCESSES

NEXT-GTL is a research project within the 7th European Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development. The project started November 1, 2009.

23 industrial and academic partners from 12 European countries have formed a consortium which will work together for four years on the topic of catalysts and sustainable processes to produce liquid fuels from natural gas.

The aim is an integrated multi-disciplinary approach to develop in a long term vision the next-stage catalysts and related precompetitive technologies for gas to liquid conversion, in fully consistence with the indications of the call. For this reason, we have excluded to consider as part of the project catalytic technologies, such as FT synthesis and hydrocracking. In addition, we have excluded to investigate coal to liquid, both due to environmental impact of the use of coal, and to focus R&D. We have thus focused the project on three cluster lines:
1. new, not conventional routes for catalytic syngas formation from natural gas which include steps of separation by membrane and eventual reuse of byproducts;
2. direct catalytic conversion of methane to methanol/DME;
3. direct catalytic conversion of methane to aromatics under non-oxidative conditions followed by upgrading of the products by alkylation with ethane/propane.

More information find on web pages of project.