5th Methanol Markets & Tech 2010

The methanol industry suffered dramatic changes in recent times. From strong demand growth and unprecedented high prices, the situation drastically reversed as the global economic crisis impacted the sector. Continued weakness of the construction and automotive sectors in the US and Western Europe impacted on methanol consumption, resulting in reduced demand for chemical uses. Meanwhile, there was some mitigation provided by "new uses", such as DME in China for heating during winter and gasoline blending.