Sulzer Chemtech Ltd. (Winterthur, Switzerland) is using its advanced separation technologies to enable the world’s first commercial scale e-methanol plant, constructed by European Energy.
The innovative facility in Kassø, Aabenraa, Denmark will produce 32,000 metric tonnes of carbon neutral fuels per year, helping to decarbonize the heavy transportation sector. As a lightweight fuel produced from solar and wind, e-methanol enables the effective storage and transport of renewable energy, helping to solve two of the key challenges facing renewable energy sources.
European Energy is applying an innovative process to convert renewable electricity into e-methanol. The plant in Kassø, Denmark, will be supplied with power from the adjacent 300 MW solar park owned by European Energy and it represents the first step in bringing this e-fuel to market at scale.
As an energy-dense and lightweight fuel, e-methanol provides a carbon-neutral alternative that replicates the properties of traditional fuels, enabling the decarbonization of heavy transportation methods like shipping. E-methanol also provides solution to the two main barriers preventing the wide-scale adoption of renewable energy – how to store the energy for later use and how to transport it to the point of need.
As the global leader in separation and mixing technology, Sulzer Chemtech will deliver two distillation units with a customized design to European Energy’s ground-breaking facility. This key technology will enable the production of e-methanol of extremely high purity for use in combustion engines and as a chemical feedstock. Half of the total plant output, 16’000 metric tonnes per annum, will be delivered to A. P. Moller – Maersk to fuel the company’s first container ship capable of operating on green methanol.
Emil Vikjær-Andresen, EVP and head of Power-to-X at European Energy, comments: “The success of our operations depends on the ability to deliver high quality e-methanol, meeting demanding specifications, while minimizing the environmental impact of our activities. Only in this way can we effectively support the adoption of more sustainable fuels. Sulzer Chemtech is a key partner, with extensive expertise in the sector and solutions that are able to address our ambitious goals. We look forward to working together to deliver a sustainable product to help companies achieve their net zero targets.”
Suzanne Thoma, Sulzer’s Executive President, concludes: “We are proud to be selected by European Energy for this exciting green project that will have a major impact in driving the transition towards sustainable fuels. E-methanol is a ground-breaking fuel that enables the effective storage and transport of renewable energy, providing a highly useful carbon neutral fuel that will help to decarbonize the global freight industry.”