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Sweden’s Liquid Wind eyes third e-methanol plant

  • : E-fuels, Emissions, Hydrogen
  • 23/01/23

Swedish e-fuels developer up Liquid Wind is planning a 100,000t/yr e-methanol facility in the Vasterbotten region of northern Sweden. It is scheduled to start production in 2026.

Liquid Wind agreed to locate the methanol facility next to a cogeneration power plant owned by local utility Umea Energi which burns biomass and biofuels to make heat and power. The deal benefits both parties as the project will capture 230,000t/yr CO2 emissions from the existing plant, which can be used as feedstock for synthesis of the methanol. The project could trim CO2 emissions in the Umea municipality by 40pc, Umea Energi said. The methanol production will also result in surplus heat which can be used for district heating.

The partners carried out a feasibility study which confirmed good conditions for e-methanol production and the next steps are in-depth investigations and permitting, they said. The developers aim to take a final investment decision by next year.

The project plans to supply methanol to the shipping industry and displacement of fossil fuels will avert 150,000t/yr CO2, Umea Energi said.

The plant at Dava in Umea is the third e-methanol project which Liquid Wind has planned in Sweden, after its 50,000t/yr FlagshipONE project at Ornkoldsvik which was acquired by Orsted and 100,000t/yr FlagshipTWO at Sundsvall. Liquid Wind aims to develop ten e-methanol facilities by 2030. It raised €15.2mn in October 2022.

Liquid Wind has not confirmed electrolysis capacity at the new plant, but it could be 140MW, as the company is planning to produce twice as much e-methanol as the Ornkoldsvik project which has 70MW.

Copyright © 2023 Argus Media group
RegionCountryLocationProject nameProduction target (t/yr)Electrolyser size in MWStatusPlanned or actual start-upOperator/developer
OceaniaAustraliaTasmania_-* 60,000Planned2023ABEL, Thyssenkrupp
EuropeBelgiumAntwerpPower-to-Methanol Antwerp_-* 8,000Planned2022Engie, Port of Antwerp
EuropeBelgiumEast FlandersNorth-C-Methanol_-* 44,000Planned2024Proman, Engie
North AmericaCanadaBritish Columbia_-* 120,000PlannedRH2C Renewable Hydrogen Canada
North AmericaCanadaAlbertaIn operation2020Air Company
North AmericaCanadaQuebecBoyen_-* 70,000Planned2026Hy2Gen
South AmericaChile_-* 140,000Planned2025Andes Mining and Energy
South AmericaChileAntofagastaAntofagasta Mining Energy Renewable _-* 60,000PlannedAir Liquide
South AmericaChile_-* 150,000Planned2025HIF
AsiaChinaJiangsuJiangsu Sailboat Green Methanol_-* 100,000Planned2023CRI, Jiangsu Sailboat Petrochemicals
AsiaChina_-* 100,000PlannedSinocoal, Energy and Chemical Co
AsiaChinaLiaoning_-* 1,000In operation2020Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics
AsiaChinaHenan_-* 110,000In operation2022CRI, Shunli
EuropeDenmarkCopenhagenGreen Fuels For Denmark_-* 50,000Planned2023Orsted, Maersk, SAS Copenhagen Airports
EuropeDenmarkMidtjylland_-* 16,000Planned2023ReIntegrate
EuropeDenmarkSyddanmark_-* 32,000PlannedEuropean Energy
EuropeDenmarkNordjylland_-* 75,000Planned2025European Energy, Port of Aalborg
EuropeDenmarkNordjyllandPlannedEuropean Energy, Port of Hanstholm
AfricaEgyptSuez Canal Economic Zone_-* 100,000Planned2026Masdar, Hassan Allam
EuropeFranceIsereHynovi_-* 200,000Planned2025Hynamics, Vycat
EuropeFranceBouches-du-RhoneHynovera_-* 100,00085-120Planned2030Hy2Gen
EuropeGermanyBavariaRhyme_-* 15,000Planned2024Wacker Chemie, Linde
EuropeGermanySaxonyJangada_-* 61,000Planned2026Hy2Gen
EuropeGermanySaxony-Anhalte-CONMetPlannedTotalEnergies, Sunfire
EuropeGermanyHamburg_-* 200,000PlannedDow Chemical
EuropeGermanySchleswig-HolsteinHySCALE100Planned2026EDF Hynamics, Orsted, Halcim
EuropeGermanyLower SaxonyPlanned2026Friesoythe
EuropeIcelandReykjanesGeorge Olah_-* 4,000In operation2011Carbon Recycling International (CRI)
AsiaIndiaGujarat_-* 27,000PlannedNTPC Renewable Energy, GACL
EuropeItalyTuscany_-* 125,000PlannedAlia Servizi Ambientali
EuropeNetherlandsGroningenPlannedNouryon, Gasunie, BioMCN
EuropeNorwayTroms and FinnmarkFinnfjord E-methanol plant_-* 100,000Planned2025Finnfjord, Statkraft, CRI
EuropeNorway NordlandMo Industrial ParkPlannedSwiss Liquid Future, Elkem, Thyssenkrupp, e-Fuels2go
EuropeScotlandHighlandCromarty Clean Fuels ProjectPlannedProman, Global Energy Group
AsiaSingaporeSingapore_-* 50,000Planned2024Air Liquide, PTT Exploration & Production, YTL PowerSaya, Kenoil, Maersk, YTL PowerSaya
AfricaSouth AfricaEastern Cape_-* 120,000Planned2027Earth and Wire, Enertrag, 24 Solutions
EuropeSpainGaliciaGreen UMIA_-* 2,900Planned2025Iberdrola, Foresa
EuropeSwedenVastra GotalandProject Air_-* 200,000Planned2026Perstorp
EuropeSwedenVasternorrlandFlagshipONE_-* 50,000Planned2024Liquid Wind, Haldor, Nel, Orsted
EuropeSwedenVasternorrlandFlagshipTWO_-* 100,000Planned2024Liquid Wind, Haldor, Nel
EuropeSwedenVasterbottenDava e-methanol plant_-* 100,000Planned2026Liquid Wind, Umea Energi
North AmericaUSAIn operationAir Company

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