What Is the True Cost of Producing Propylene from Methanol? The Role of Externalities

The demand for olefins has increased steadily in recent years, with a propylene demand around 100 million tons per year and an expected annual growth of 3–4%. Most propylene is presently produced via steam cracking of naphtha, but on-purpose processes based on selective propane dehydrogenation or utilizing methanol as an intermediate are also being investigated and deployed. The coal-to-propylene route in particular has gained wide interest in …