Abstract
Global production and consumption of methanol in 2007 was almost 40 million metric tons. Global capacity utilization was 77% in 2007; this was a decline from 2006 due to a larger increase in capacity than consumption. Global methanol consumption is estimated to have increased by 4% in 2007, but it is expected to increase by 9.1% per year from 2007 to 2012, declining to 3.3% per year from 2012 to 2017. As a result of considerable capacity additions (even with large consumption growth rates), average global utilization rates are expected to decline to the mid-60s range by 2009, gradually increasing after 2011.
Formaldehyde (37% solution) accounted for almost 31% of global methanol consumption in 2007, followed by MTBE/TAME gasoline oxygenates with 15% of total consumption. Other applications for methanol include acetic acid/acetic anhydride, chloromethanes, direct fuel uses, solvent uses and dimethyl ether (for fuel uses).
The following pie chart shows world consumption of methanol by end use:
