Argus Methanol Forum

• How are rising interest rates, inflation volatility, and currency swings affecting capital-intensive clean energy projects and global commodity flows?
• How are sanctions, trade disruptions, and geopolitical rivalries—especially involving Russia, Iran, and China—reshaping global oil and gas markets and altering traditional trade routes?
• As China, the U.S., and the EU vie for clean energy dominance, how are industrial policy and strategic investment shaping global supply chains and influencing project risk assessments?
• With U.S. trade policy growing more volatile, will international markets remain open and investable? How are long-term commercial partnerships being impacted by shifting geopolitical alliances?

Formaldehyde, acetic acid, biodiesel, MTBE, MTO

• What are the near- and long-term global demand forecasts for methanol by region and application? Which regions are emerging as dominant players in the global methanol trade?
•  Which new plants and projects are coming online, and what are the latest price outlooks and investment drivers shaping future capacity?
• How are shifts in global trade patterns and tariffs impacting competitiveness? How are they affecting methanol trade flows?
• What is the outlook for Trinidad & Tobago’s methanol exports in a changing market? How is the current status of natural gas availability influencing production and the future of methanol plants?
• Despite the current oversupply in the U.S., what strategic advantages are driving the commissioning of new methanol plants along the Gulf Coast?

• How has the rise of methanol production capacity in the US shifted trade patterns?
• What is the impact of consolidation on the spot market, and how has US spot liquidity been sapped by increasing preference for contract agreements?
• What is the impact on tariffs on domestic distribution patterns within the US?

• How is China balancing its vast domestic methanol production (much of it being coal-based) with growing pressure to decarbonize and manage import dependencies?
• What role is methanol playing in China’s fuel mix—especially in transportation and shipping—and how is this influencing broader demand across Asia?
• To what extent are green methanol projects scaling in China, and what challenges remain for commercialization and policy support?
• How is China’s willingness to adopt and localize emerging methanol technologies shaping its competitive edge?
• To what extent are green methanol projects expected to grow in China? What are the key progresses and challenges the new fuel is facing?

• How are sanctions, tariffs, and protectionist trade policies reshaping methanol exports from key producers like the Middle East, China, and Russia?
• What role will fossil methanol continue to play in chemicals, fuels, and plastics amid persistent demand for conventional petrochemicals?
• Despite current U.S. oversupply, what strategic drivers are behind the commissioning of new methanol plants along the Gulf Coast?
• How is pricing determined in Western Europe, and what explains the disconnect from North American and global market dynamics?
• Can natural gas-based methanol remain cost-competitive as fossil fuel prices fluctuate and carbon-related costs rise?
• How are feedstock prices and operating costs evolving across key production regions such as the U.S. Gulf Coast, T&T, China, and Latin America?

• How are key markets like the U.S., Europe, and China approaching blue methanol production and investment, and what influence will these projects have on global supply and pricing of low-carbon fuels?
• In which sectors—such as shipping, chemical manufacturing, or fuel blending—is blue methanol gaining commercial traction?
• Can grey plants be upgraded to meet emissions goals? What are the economics of retrofitting versus building green?
• How are producers using mass balance and other hybrid approaches to extend the viability of grey infrastructure?
• Can the addition of carbon capture and storage (CCUS) meaningfully reduce the carbon intensity of blue methanol to make it competitive with green methanol in both emissions and economics? What are the limitations?

• How are U.S. policy tools like the IRA, 45Z (clean fuels), 45V (hydrogen), and 45Q (carbon capture) shaping capital flows and project viability in low carbon methanol, and what happens if these credits are weakened or repealed?
• How are regulatory frameworks such as the EU ETS, IMO measure and U.S climate policy driving demand for low carbon methanol across shipping, aviation, and chemicals?
• How are EU trade and climate policies—such as CBAM, FuelEU Maritime, and the Union Database—reshaping global methanol trade and compliance obligations for exporters?
• How are emerging rules around mass balance and product tracking (e.g., the Union Database) influencing operational models for methanol producers and traders?

• What’s fuelling the wave of global investment in low-carbon methanol, and how are regions like Asia, Europe, and North America advancing large-scale production using captured CO₂ and renewable hydrogen? Where are the major facilities being built, and who is leading the charge?
• How is infrastructure evolving — particularly in regions like the U.S. Gulf Coast — to support growth in methanol production and export? What challenges and opportunities exist for both large-scale and small-scale production models in meeting global and regional demand?
• What are the hurdles to bringing down the cost of low-carbon methanol, and how can innovation and new technologies enhance scalability and investor confidence? What role can flexible, decentralized production play?
• How are long-term offtake agreements shaping production strategy and financial viability? What commercial signals are emerging, and how are buyers — especially in shipping and chemicals — approaching low-carbon methanol procurement?
• Should low-carbon methanol be seen as a distinct commodity, with separate pricing and customer bases, or integrated into the traditional methanol market? How should traditional producers adapt to compete in a decarbonizing world through carbon capture, efficiency upgrades, or facility redesign?

Key differences in feedstocks, technology, scalability, and market demand

• How do bio-methanol and e-methanol compare in terms of feedstock availability, scalability, CI scores, and market interest — and what will drive the next wave of commercial investment?
• What notable technological advancements have occurred in the past year for both pathways, particularly in areas like carbon capture, renewable hydrogen, and gasification?
• How are advancements in renewable hydrogen, carbon capture, and "drop-in" solutions such as Renewable Natural Gas blurring the line between dedicated renewable fuel production and multi-purpose existing assets, making e and bio methanol a viable alternative to fossil-based fuels?
• How can producers and developers overcome regulatory uncertainty, pricing challenges, and infrastructure barriers to scale up both bio- and e-methanol across sectors like marine fuels, aviation, and chemicals?
• What technological innovations are reducing the production costs of e-methanol and bio-methanol? What are the latest advancements in bio-methanol production, including gasification technology?

• What do investors and lenders need to see to consider low-carbon methanol projects bankable? What drives confidence in reaching final investment decisions (FID)?
• What are the top barriers project developers face in securing funding, and how are offtake agreements and market diversification strategies (across SAF, marine, and chemicals) helping to de-risk projects?
• How are financing structures for methanol evolving? What role are banks, infrastructure funds, and private equity playing in supporting—or hesitating to support—emerging fuels?
• What strategies can developers adopt to overcome investor risk aversion—especially around technology readiness, policy volatility, and long payback periods?
• How is competition for limited biogenic CO₂ between SAF, marine and methanol affecting investment decisions and long-term project planning?

• Is methanol emerging as the preferred alternative marine fuel? How does it compare to ammonia and LNG in terms of cost, carbon intensity, infrastructure, and safety?
• What is the financial viability of sustainable marine fuels vs fossil-based options under today’s fuel pricing, incentive schemes, and carbon regulations?
• What global bunker fuel trends are expected by 2026, and how are regional markets (e.g. Europe, Asia, U.S.) positioning themselves?

• Post-MEPC 83– How will IMO regulations impact the methanol market and drive demand for methanol?
• What infrastructure developments—bunkering, port logistics, safety standards—are needed to scale methanol adoption in global shipping hubs?
• How are shipowners, engine manufacturers, and fuel producers collaborating to scale methanol deployment in shipping?
• What are shipowners’ and charterers’ expectations for fuel availability and pricing?
• Green, blue, bio-based: how will different types of low-carbon methanol fit into marine fuels, and what pricing dynamics can we expect as IMO regulations evolve?

• What is the current state of the Methanol-to-Jet (MTJ) market, and how is it evolving?
• How viable are current MTJ production pathways, and can they scale meaningfully? Will MTJ production have a real impact on the methanol market?
• What are the key barriers to commercialization, and when could MTJ become commercially viable?
• What is the regulatory outlook for MTJ, and what role will certification and policy play? Status and expectations around ASTM certification.

• What standards and certifications are emerging for "green" and "blue" methanol?
• Carbon intensity: what level of emissions reduction does the downstream industry require to meet internal sustainability targets and broader industrial decarbonization goals?
• How are companies certifying green, blue, and e-methanol to meet international standards (CBAM, RED II)?
• What requirements are there for the carbon molecule in methanol and how does that impact the carbon of the product? Should it be biogenic, atmospheric or industrial carbon dioxide?