As part of DGMK Project 851, the potential of renewable synthetic gasoline fuels produced using the methanol-to-gasoline (MtG) process was investigated. The goal was to develop alternative MtG fuel grades that are compatible with existing infrastructure and enable a significant reduction in CO₂ and exhaust emissions in the transportation sector. To this end, various catalysts and process conditions for MtG synthesis, as well as various upgrading methods such as hydrogenation, hydroisomerization, and distillation, were employed to specifically influence product quality.
The MtG fuels produced were comprehensively characterized, particularly with regard to research octane number (RON), aromatic and olefin content, aging stability, and material compatibility. Various blends containing MtG gasoline and ethanol, as well as commercial E10 fuel and pure ethanol as a reference fuel, were also examined. The results show that, through the targeted combination of process parameters and processing techniques, MtG fuels with a high octane number (RON > 95), reduced aromatic content, and higher oxidation stability can be produced compared to RON95E10. Furthermore, the addition of ethanol has a positive effect on the quality of MtG gasoline. The best quality was achieved with an MtG-E20 blend, which demonstrated significantly improved performance while maintaining low emissions and largely meeting regulatory requirements. The project thus makes an important contribution to the development of CO₂-neutral and low-aromatic drop-in fuels.
