Methanol Institute rebrands to reflect expanding methanol value chain

The Methanol Institute on Tuesday unveiled its new brand, becoming MI — The Global Methanol Alliance, adopting a name that reflects what the organisation has grown into: a global alliance connecting companies across every part of the methanol value chain.

Methanol is central to the energy transition. Its established role as a chemical building block remains the backbone of global demand, while its use in new markets is growing. Methanol is now a well-established marine fuel, with more than 150 methanol-capable vessels in operation and over 290 on order.

Globally, 47 renewable methanol projects are operational or under development, while renewable methanol production capacity is expected to grow from 0.9 million tonnes today to 6 to 12 million tonnes by the end of 2031. New applications are also advancing in aviation, road transport and power generation, alongside growing interest in methanol’s role as a hydrogen carrier. This shift is bringing new companies, technologies and industries into the methanol value chain, and changing the questions the industry needs to solve.

Ben Iosefa, Chair of MI’s Board of Directors, said the methanol industry has changed, and the organisation has changed with it. He said that over the past six years, methanol has moved into new markets and the organisation’s membership has expanded across sectors and the value chain, adding that the new identity reflects the organisation it has become today, while building on the knowledge, experience and industry relationships developed over more than three decades.

Across the Americas, Europe and Asia, MI increasingly operates at the points where these sectors intersect, connecting industry with policymakers, bringing operational experience into regulatory discussions, and working across the value chain on the standards, safety frameworks and regulations needed for methanol markets to develop and scale.

Alexander Döll, CEO of MI, said the organisation brings together an industry that spans more sectors, more regions and more parts of the value chain than ever before, adding that the new identity is about making that clearer. He said the Global Methanol Alliance reflects who the organisation is today: a place where the industry comes together, connects across markets and sectors, and works collectively on the issues that will shape methanol’s next phase of growth.

Alongside the new identity, MI has launched a new website designed to become a go-to source for methanol knowledge and intelligence, bringing together industry data, market insights, interactive tools and practical resources covering methanol’s markets and applications, safety, policy and regulation.