Maersk And LEGO Start Using Green E-Methanol Fuel

In a huge step forward for the green transition, the world's first large-scale commercial e-methanol plant has formally opened in Kassø, Denmark. The €150m plant is a milestone in Power-to-X technology use, which will make 42,000 metric tonnes (or 53 million litres) of e-methanol each year using exclusively renewable energy. Constructed as a joint venture between Mitsui & Co. of Japan (49%) and European Energy (51%), the facility is supplied by the adjacent 304 MW Kassø Solar Park and draws on green hydrogen and biogenic carbon dioxide extracted from biogas and waste combustion. The action represents a revolutionary transition in the use of low-emissions fuels to industries that traditionally are hard to decarbonize.

A.P. Moller – Maersk, the LEGO Group, and Novo Nordisk are the early adopters of the green fuel. These global corporations are adding e-methanol to their supply chains in order to greatly reduce carbon emissions in industries such as shipping, plastic production, and pharmaceutical production. Maersk alone will utilise the Kassø-made e-methanol as fuel in its dual-fuel container ships, such as the Laura Maersk, a methanol-driven container vessel now in full operational service. A single vessel would consume 3,600 tonnes of e-methanol in a year but the available plant capacity currently enables a one-round-trip service of far greater, 16,000-unit vessel servicing both Asia-Europe routes. This reflects the potential for such fuel solutions to scale and contribute towards cutting significantly the seafaring industry's reliance on fossil fuels.

Knud Erik Andersen, European Energy CEO, defined the launch of the Kassø plant as a major step towards real application of renewable energy solutions. "The commissioning of Kassø represents an important step forward in applying Power-to-X technologies to real-world applications," he said, underlining the conversion of solar electricity into concrete low-emission products.

Maersk's Chief Operating Officer, Rabab Raafat Boulos, also welcomed the initiative, declaring the first-ever delivery of e-methanol a key moment in the company's overall transition to cleaner sources of energy in its global fleet. She described the need to utilize several different types of fuels in the road to net-zero emissions for shipping, with methanol at center stage.

LEGO is employing the e-methanol to make progress in making its plastic production greener. As per Carsten Rasmussen, the LEGO Group's Chief Operating Officer, the company intends to utilize e-methanol-based materials in the production of certain components like cross axles and connectors by the end of the year. He added that the company continues to adhere to its high safety and quality standards while progressing towards sustainability. Rasmussen referred to the collaboration with Kassø as a beacon of how cooperation across industries can give rise to immense innovation in green manufacturing.

Novo Nordisk is also tapping the green fuel to reduce the environmental footprint of its supply chain for products. Dorethe Nielsen, Vice President of Corporate Environmental Strategy of the giant pharma company, emphasized the significance of utilizing groundbreaking, practical solutions to address carbon emissions and reconcile with overall environmental objectives.

Aside from its international industrial uses, the Kassø plant is also serving locally. Its design incorporates excess heat produced during manufacturing into heating for local residential use, to warm around 3,300 local homes. Not only does this circular process maximize energy usage, but it also supports the project's emphasis on sustainability at both international and community levels.

Although this pioneering success, European Energy is aware that plenty of work lies ahead to produce on a larger scale and decrease costs involved. Emil Vikjar-Andresen, Head of Power-to-X at European Energy, emphasized that though the Kassø production is significant, it represents only a limited contribution in relation to worldwide demand. He insisted that more investment, wider take-up, and increased innovation are required to fundamentally shift the global economy onto low-emission fuels.

Takashi Furutani, Senior Executive Managing Officer at Mitsui & Co., echoed the sentiment, celebrating the project as a hallmark of international collaboration and innovation. He described the Kassø plant as a foundational step in Mitsui’s global energy transition strategy and an inspiration for similar projects around the world.

Being the world's first commercial-scale Power-to-X project to become operational, the Kassø e-methanol plant embodies a milestone turn from idea to realization in the search for carbon-neutral fuels. It is a concrete demonstration of how renewable energy, circular design, and global collaboration can unite to fuel industries of the future.