The Kassø E-Methanol Facility: Pioneering Sustainable Fuel Solutions in Denmark
The Kassø e-methanol facility in Aabenraa, Denmark, has officially opened and is prepared to supply e-methanol to key clients, including Maersk. Developed through a partnership between European Energy and Mitsui & Co., this facility is being recognized as the world’s first large-scale commercial e-methanol production site.
Located adjacent to Northern Europe’s largest solar park, the 304 MW Kassø Solar Park, the facility combines large-scale renewable energy generation with carbon capture and utilization. By integrating biogenic CO2 with green hydrogen produced on-site, the facility reportedly produces e-methanol with a carbon footprint reduced by up to 97 % compared to fossil-based products.
Source: Maersk
The Kassø e-methanol facility aims to facilitate the direct decarbonization of sectors that are challenging to electrify. The CO2 utilized in the production process will be captured from biogas plants and waste incineration. The plant has an annual production capacity of 42 000 tonnes.
“The commencement of operations at Kassø represents a significant advancement in the practical application of Power-to-X technologies,” stated Knud Erik Andersen, CEO of European Energy.
A. P. Moller – Maersk has signed a contract to be one of the first major consumers of e-methanol from the facility. This e-methanol will be used to fuel the Laura Maersk, the company’s first containership capable of operating on methanol. The vessel operates in the Baltic/Scandinavia region but has been using conventional methanol while awaiting the commercial-scale supply of e-methanol.
Source: European Energy
Although the plant will have the largest commercial output, it will still be relatively small compared to overall demand. For instance, Maersk indicated that the annual output would be sufficient to fuel one of its large methanol containerships for a single trip between Europe and Asia. However, the smaller Laura Maersk requires 3 600 tons of fuel annually.
The e-methanol produced at the facility will also be utilized in industrial processes where fossil-based methanol has been the norm. One such application is in the plastics industry, where manufacturers are looking to adopt more sustainable materials while ensuring safety and quality standards. The LEGO Group and Novo Nordisk are also buyers of e-methanol from Kassø, using it to replace fossil methanol in the production of certain products.
