Shipping: First large-scale e-methanol plant opened near German border
Green methanol is intended to help the shipping industry, among others, to reduce its emissions. It is still a scarce commodity. Plants like the one in Apenrade in Denmark are intended to change this.
The world’s first large-scale e-methanol plant has gone into operation near the German-Danish border. The energy company European Energy officially opened the Kassø plant in Apenrade, Denmark, this morning. Customers for the green methanol initially include the three major Danish companies Maersk, Lego and Novo Nordisk, before the operators also want to open up other markets such as Germany.
E-methanol is virtually CO2-neutral and is considered a promising option in shipping to replace fossil fuels such as marine diesel or heavy fuel oil and thus reduce emissions. However, its production with the help of so-called Power-to-X technology requires a lot of electricity from renewable sources, which is why the fuel is currently still in short supply.
Electricity from Northern Europe’s largest solar park
In Apenrade (Aabenraa), this electricity is to come from the nearby Kassø solar park, the largest solar park in Northern Europe. This will initially generate around 32,000 tons of e-methanol per year. The plant, which according to the operators is the first of its kind in the world to produce e-methanol on a commercial scale, will be able to produce a maximum of 42,000 tons per year.
Green methanol for Laura Maersk
The green methanol from Apenrade will initially be used by Maersk to power the methanol-powered container ship “Laura Maersk”. However, the e-methanol will also be used in the plastics and chemical industries, for example, where methanol based on fossil fuels is currently the standard. In the long term, it should one day also lead to fuel for aircraft.
