The success of catalytic schemes for the large-scale valorization of CO 2 does not only depend on the development of active, selective and stable catalytic materials but also on the overall process design. Here we present a multidisciplinary study (from catalyst to plant and techno-economic/lifecycle analysis) for the production of green methanol from renewable H 2 and CO 2 . We combine an in-depth kinetic analysis of one of the most promising recently reported methanol-synthesis catalysts

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... ) with a thorough process simulation and techno-economic assessment. We then perform a life cycle assessment of the simulated process to gauge the real environmental impact of green methanol production from CO 2 . Our results indicate that up to 1.75 ton of CO 2 can be abated per ton of produced methanol only if renewable energy is used to run the process, while the sensitivity analysis suggest that either rock-bottom H 2 prices (1.5 $ kg −1 ) or severe CO 2 taxation (300 $ per ton) are needed for a profitable methanol plant. Besides, we herein highlight and analyze some critical bottlenecks of the process. Especial attention has been paid to the contribution of H 2 to the overall plant costs, CH 4 trace formation, and purity and costs of raw gases. In addition to providing important information for policy makers and industrialists, directions for catalyst (and therefore process) improvements are outlined.