2 for Tuesday: Fire Up Some Methanex

I'll have a wood alcohol straight up.

Not to drink, mind you. I'm not quite that wild and crazy. No, what I'm talking about is a chemical called methanol. Right now it's used primarily to make plastics and paint. But it's also being considered for use in cars, as an alternative fuel. And with the world's oil supplies dwindling, methanol may soon be an important fuel for all of us.

That's where Methanex (MEOH Quote), the world's largest producer and distributor of methanol, comes in. DaimlerChrysler, Toyota and a range of other automakers are developing prototype cars that use fuel cells powered by methanol. Just a 1% or 2% penetration into the auto market could seriously boost demand for the fuel, whose prices have sunk recently amid the economic downturn. ...