Methanol (Methyl Alcohol) – Uses, Prices, and Production

 

This blog is the twenty-sixth in a series of blogs I plan to write providing use, price, and production data on high-use inorganic and organic chemicals.  Click here to see the first blog in this series and a list of chemicals to be featured.  This blog provides data on methanol.  The primary purpose of these blogs is to present estimates of recent price, production, and sales revenues for the chemicals.  The last blog in this series will compare price, production, and sales data for all the chemicals.  

Uses.  Uses of methanol include: 

• As a feed stock to produce formaldehyde and many other chemicals used in making several products;
• As a gasoline additive;
• As a fuel;
• In water treatment; and
• As a solvent. 

Prices.  The 2019 average global methanol price is believed to be in the range of $300 to $350 per metric ton (mt). 

Production.  Methanol is produced by reacting hydrogen with carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. 

From the internet, estimated 2019 global production of methanol is in the 90 to 95 million mt range.  Using 90 and 95 million mt produced and the prices of $300 and $350 per mt (see Prices above) gives 2019 global revenues generated by methanol in the $27 to $33.5 billion range (90 million mt times $300 per mt and 95 million mt times $350 per mt).