Welcome to the
METHASOL project website
METHASOL is a research and innovation project funded by the European union under the Horizon 2020 programme. It aims to produce methanol through a sustainable and cost-effective CO2 conversion using nothing more than light.
METHASOL: Turning Sunlight and CO₂ into Sustainable Methanol – Final results
The European project METHASOL, which brought together 14 partners from Europe, China, and the USA over a period of 42 months, has come to a successful close with promising results. Its ambitious goal? To develop a sustainable method for producing methanol using only sunlight and CO₂.
Why Methanol?
Methanol is a liquid fuel that can be used directly or converted into gasoline or chemicals. It’s easy to store and transport. However, current production methods are far from sustainable. That’s where METHASOL comes in.
A Breakthrough in Solar-Driven CO₂ Conversion
METHASOL developed an innovative process to convert CO₂ gas into methanol, using materials that absorb sunlight to trigger chemical reactions — a process known as photocatalysis. The team combined advanced materials, such as Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) and graphitic Carbon Nitride (g-CN), into a “Z-scheme” system that mimics natural photosynthesis.
The project aimed to achieve a 5% solar-to-methanol conversion efficiency, a key milestone toward making this technology viable.
What Has Been Achieved?
Throughout the project:
– Several new photocatalyst materials were developed and tested for their ability to reduce CO₂ to fuels.
– A tailored reactor was built to optimize reaction conditions such as light intensity, gas composition, and pressure.
– After sunlight exposure, the system produced methanol, ethanol, ethylene, and other compounds — confirming the process works.
– A full sustainability assessment showed that this method can be cleaner than conventional methanol production, especially when catalysts are reused and produced via greener methods.
– A Strong International Collaboration
Beyond the scientific achievements, METHASOL strengthened EU-China cooperation in the field of artificial photosynthesis. Events such as joint consortium meetings and a summer school at Fuzhou University provided a platform for sharing knowledge and planning future collaborations.
– A public acceptance survey showed strong support for the project’s environmental benefits and energy potential, although concerns about costs and resource use remain.
What’s Next?
While the technology is still in early development, the project laid important groundwork. The project coordinator continues to engage in discussions with key stakeholders to explore future collaborations and scaling opportunities.
Thanks to METHASOL, a new, sustainable pathway is emerging to produce methanol — contributing to Europe’s goals for decarbonization and energy resilience.
Start - July 2021 End - December 2024
Discover the METHASOL project in 3 minutes


SO WHY METHANOL?
Methanol is an appealing energy vector, with attractive volumetric and gravimetric energy values, storable in liquid phase at ambient conditions of pressure and temperature, and that can be used as fuel directly or converted into chemicals or gasoline. However, its production lacks a sustainable route. Thus, the METHASOL project aims to produce methanol through a sustainable and cost-effective process based on the selective visible light driven gas phase CO2 reduction, with a solar to methanol energy conversion efficiency of 5%.