Singapore: CRecTech launches pre-pilot system to convert waste biogas into bio-methanol

CRecTech, a Singapore-based innovator of renewable technologies in the methanol space, recently announced the launch of its pre-pilot reactor designed to convert waste biogas into high-value bio-methanol. 

The compact pre-scale reactor serves as a critical next step toward commercial deployment, showcasing the transition from lab-scale testing to kilogram-scale daily production. This technology directly addresses Southeast Asia’s substantial volumes of underutilised biogas from palm-oil-mill effluent (POME) and municipal landfills, enabling a waste-to-worth pathway that converts distributed waste streams into valuable low-carbon methanol. This milestone supports the company’s mission to accelerate sustainable fuel production and reduce greenhouse gas emissions across industrial, agricultural, and maritime sectors.

The latest pre-pilot system demonstrates CRecTech’s proprietary catalytic reforming and synthesis process, engineered to directly handle real-world biogas containing CO2—typically flared, vented, stranded, or underutilised—into bio-methanol. Its compact design reduces CAPEX/OPEX, making bio-methanol production feasible even at sites previously considered unsuitable. The reactor also allows for detailed evaluation of system performance and optimisation of operating conditions, paving the way for an on-site pilot planned for 2026.

“Our pre-pilot reactor brings us one step closer to enabling cost-effective, decentralised bio-methanol production,” said Dr. Lim Kang Hui, CEO of CRecTech.

“Our novel catalytic process transforms small, stranded biogas sources into scalable low-carbon methanol, helping accelerate maritime decarbonisation in line with Singapore’s ambition to supply over 1 million tonnes of low-carbon methanol for bunkering by 2030.”

CRecTech was selected as part of the inaugural cohort of the Breakthrough Energy Fellows – Southeast Asia (BE Fellows – SEA) programme, supported by Breakthrough Energy, Enterprise Singapore, and Temasek, further strengthening its efforts to scale low-carbon methanol innovations across the region.

“CRecTech successfully scaled their biogas-to-methanol conversion process from lab-scale to a pre-pilot, validated go-to-market strategy, advanced both technical and commercial partnerships”, said Dr. Jane Zhang, Head of Southeast Asia/Singapore, Fellows at Breakthrough Energy. “This milestone reflects the team’s hard work, ambition, and commitment in developing affordable, low-carbon fuel for decarbonizing the shipping industry.”

The pre-pilot system was showcased at an exclusive event featuring partnership and investor discussions, marking a key step in the company’s commercialization journey. The launch is supported by leading innovation partners—including Breakthrough Energy Fellows, Enterprise Singapore, PIER71™, NUS Enterprise, and the NUS Graduate Research Innovation Programme (GRIP)—whose backing underscores the momentum behind the company’s decarbonisation technology.

In an October interview with Manifold Times, Dr Lim Kang Hui, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of CRecTech, highlighted the company’s ambition to cut production cost of methanol bunker fuel by half. 

Related: Singapore start-up takes on challenge to cut production cost of methanol bunker fuel by half

Photo credit: CRecTech
Published: 18 December, 2025