Acme signs 100,000 t/yr e-methanol offtake with MGC

: E-fuels, Hydrogen
26/07/02

Indian renewables developer Acme will supply 100,000 t/yr of renewable hydrogen-based e-methanol to Japan's Mitsubishi Gas Chemical (MGC) under an offtake agreement signed today.

The contract has a duration of 10 years, India's ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) said. The ministry did not specify when deliveries would start.

The e-methanol will meet the EU's definition of renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBO) and "International Maritime Organisation standards for cleaner marine fuels", MNRE said.

Acme is planning a 200,000 t/yr e-methanol production plant in Kendrapada district in India's Odisha state. The location is close to Paradip, one of three ports across India designated as key hydrogen hubs by the central government.

Acme today also signed firm offtake agreements for 488,000 t/yr of renewable ammonia with Japanese firm IHI. This followed Japan's decision to provide subsidies to 228,000 t/yr of IHI's imports from Acme under its contracts-for-difference scheme earlier this year.

IHI will take the other 260,000 t/yr for deliveries under Japan's long-term decarbonised power capacity auction programme.

Acme and IHI are co-operating on a 405,000 t/yr renewable ammonia site at Gopalpur, Odisha. The other 83,000 t/yr earmarked for IHI will come from a separate 800,000 t/yr renewable ammonia plant in Paradip. Acme will also deliver 370,000 t/yr from this larger facility to fertiliser producers under contracts with government body the Solar Energy Corporation of India after it secured the supply deals in last year's renewable ammonia tender.

MGC earlier this week unveiled plans to explore methanol production from geological hydrogen together with Australian firm Gold Hydrogen.

In late 2025, MGC signed a preliminary offtake agreement for 1mn t/yr of methanol based on low-carbon and renewable hydrogen from Transition Industries' Pacifico Mexinol project in Mexico.

By Stefan Krumpelmann

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26/07/03

Netherlands approves €450mn subsidy for H2 storage

Paris, 3 July (Argus) — The Dutch government will provide €450mn ($514mn) in subsidies for a hydrogen storage project at Zuidwending, in the country's north, to be developed by state-owned transmission system operator (TSO) Gasunie. The HyStock project will consist of four storage caverns, each with 6,000t of capacity, that will be developed in phases. Gasunie plans for the first cavern to be ready for operations in 2031. Zuidwending was selected for its existing underground gas storage infrastructure and its suitability for connection to the Netherlands' planned hydrogen backbone, the government said. The government said its support is intended to mitigate risks that would be difficult for a "typical investor" to bear alone. These include uncertainty over the cost of so-called cushion gas, which must remain permanently in the facility to enable injections and withdrawals, the possibility of low utilisation rates during the market's early years, and potential project delays linked to permitting procedures. The subsidy does not constitute an "operating guarantee", nor does it account for covering market risks and cost overruns, the government said, and Gasunie will be responsible for executing the project. Hydrogen storage infrastructure will be required even during the initial stages of market development, the government said. Storage facilities are needed to help balance temporary mismatches between supply and demand, to strengthen security of supply, and to increase flexibility in the wider energy system. The subsidy award adds to a series of Dutch government measures aimed at supporting the hydrogen sector. it has already provided substantial financial support for low-carbon hydrogen production projects and has proposed a demand-side subsidy scheme to help stimulate hydrogen consumption. By Pamela Machado Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

BP drops Australia green H2 project after fund snub

26/06/24

BP drops Australia green H2 project after fund snub

New Delhi, 24 June (Argus) — BP has cancelled its proposed 105MW H2Kwinana renewable hydrogen project in Western Australia after failing to secure funding from the Australian government's Hydrogen Headstart programme. BP said the project "was contingent upon receiving funding". The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (Arena) in May [announced a shortlist]https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2826207) of seven projects for the A$1bn ($694mn) second round of the Hydrogen Headstart programme, with final winners to be selected later this year. Two projects were successful in a first round concluded in 2025. H2Kwinana, planned at BP's Kwinana Energy Hub south of Perth, was designed to produce 44 t/d of renewable hydrogen for industrial users in the Kwinana precinct. The project secured up to A$70mn under Canberra's Regional Hydrogen Hubs programme in 2022 and entered front-end engineering in November 2023. BP indicated in 2025 that the project had progressed commercially . It said it had signed offtake agreements with four customers and could move to a final investment decision "relatively shortly". The decision to cancel marks another reduction in BP's hydrogen portfolio, as it narrows its exposure to projects that have struggled to secure demand and commercial support. BP last year exited the Australian Renewable Energy Hub (AREH) project in Western Australia's Pilbara region, a proposed 1.6mn t/yr renewable hydrogen development in which it held a 63.57pc stake. It said at the time it had been unable to secure sufficient customer commitments. BP has also withdrawn its application for the 1.2GW H2Teesside blue hydrogen project in northeast England and exited renewable hydrogen and ammonia plans in Oman , where it had proposed producing 150,000 t/yr of hydrogen for conversion into ammonia exports. BP said Kwinana remains a "strategically important asset as a key import terminal" and said it would work through the implications of the project's cancellation for its longer-term asset strategy. By Anmol Choubey Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Stegra closes €1.4bn funding for low-carbon steel plant

26/06/24

Stegra closes €1.4bn funding for low-carbon steel plant

New Delhi, 24 June (Argus) — Sweden's Stegra has closed a €1.4bn ($1.6bn) financing round to fund construction of its low-carbon steel plant in Boden, Sweden, it said today. This completes a funding package that was announced in principle in April. The funding was led by a consortium headed by Wallenberg Investments and included Singapore's Temasek, Sweden's Bolero and SEB-Stiftelsen, as well as IMAS. Existing shareholders private equity firm Altor, hydrogen-focused investment manager Hy24 and climate investment platform Just Climate also took part. A group of its second-lien lenders, led by AIP Management, joined the round as equity investors, Stegra said. The company has also received approval from its lenders to maintain access to debt facilities put in place under its 2024 financing package. The additional capital strengthens Stegra's financial position as it continues construction of its steel plant in Boden, Sweden, it said. But the project timeline is "under review", Stegra said. The firm previously said that it was targeting to start operations in 2027. The plant is set to produce 2.5mn t/yr of low-carbon steel in its first phase, potentially doubling that output later on. The first phase will use over 700MW of electrolysis capacity, provided by German technology firm Thyssenkrupp Nucera. By Anmol Choubey Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Methanol-to-jet nears ASTM approval in SAF supply boost

26/06/19

Methanol-to-jet nears ASTM approval in SAF supply boost

London, 19 June (Argus) — Methanol-to-jet (MTJ) fuel is nearing full approval for use in commercial aircraft, potentially opening a major new route for producing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from renewable methanol. The MTJ pathway has passed the key stages of the process by ASTM International, the industry body that approves new fuel for use in aircraft. Industry sources expect remaining formalities to be completed in coming weeks. ASTM's committee recently approved Honeywell's MTJ pathway, the US-based technology provider said this week. This could unlock SAF production from feedstocks such as biomethanol and e-methanol, broadening supply beyond the waste oils and fats used in most SAF production. But the development extends beyond Honeywell. Its technology and fuel samples were used in the qualification work, but the MTJ pathway would be available to all producers operating within the approved specification, when that is adopted by ASTM. The MTJ pathway has passed balloting within ASTM and limited comments remain to be resolved, according to participants. They expect remaining approval steps to be completed at ASTM meetings in Chicago next week, paving the way to include the pathway the next time the organisation revises its D7566 aviation fuel standard. ASTM was not immediately available to confirm the news. The organisation typically confirms pathway approvals when it updates its standard. Honeywell expects the public update to come in July, Honeywell UOP president Rajesh Gattupalli told Argus . New aviation fuel pathways must undergo extensive testing and review before they can be approved. The MTJ process has taken several years. The approval removes one of the main technical barriers facing MTJ and allows the sector to focus on project economics and investment decisions. Until now, lack of ASTM approval has held companies back from taking commercial decisions. "No bank is going to give you a loan without an ASTM certification. No government is going to give you an incentive without an ASTM certification," Gattupalli said. "You don't get an offtake from any airline company without an ASTM certification." Honeywell has licensed its technology to multiple developers, which have been lining up offtake deals, financing, and incentives while waiting. ASTM approval allows them to "move to the next stage," Gattupalli said. The licensor sees most MTJ traction in Europe, where mandates have been spurring demand for SAF, and in China and India, where producers can benefit from strong potential in renewables, he said. Some companies plan to make biomethanol from biomass-derived syngas, while others eye e-methanol from renewable hydrogen and captured CO2. Some hybrid projects would make a mixture of both. By Aidan Lea Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Green H2 electrolyser sector enters consolidation: IEA

26/06/19

Green H2 electrolyser sector enters consolidation: IEA

London, 19 June (Argus) — The global electrolyser manufacturing industry is entering a consolidation phase as overcapacity, weak demand and financial strain force a shake-out, Paris-based energy watchdog the IEA said. Global electrolyser manufacturing capacity rose to nearly 58 GW/yr at the end of 2025 from 46 GW/yr a year earlier , the IEA estimated in its Global Hydrogen Review 2026 . But actual electrolyser output in 2025 was less than 5GW, the IEA said. This means that the 58 GW/yr had a utilisation rate of around 9pc in 2025, similar to the 10pc the IEA estimated in last year's review. Early signs of consolidation include the purchase of assets from bankrupt firms and firms reassessing strategies , the IEA said. Significant manufacturing overcapacity is expected to persist towards 2030, the watchdog said. It expects an average of 9 GW/yr of deployments based on projects that have reached a final investment decision or show strong potential to be realised. Manufacturing capacity could climb to nearly 95 GW/yr by 2030 if announced expansions go ahead, but that is about 90 GW/yr lower than the IEA projected a year earlier. Committed capacity — covering factories under construction or past FID — totals 64 GW/yr. Tight financial liquidity has become a growing concern for electrolyser makers, as many report widening losses because of revenues lagging upfront spending on building factories, the IEA said. Firms are also reassessing their business strategies, showcased by US engine maker Cummins halting electrolyser sales after filling existing orders, the watchdog said. Firms with diversified income are better placed to ride out the downturn, the IEA said. Of the 58 GW/yr of capacity, about 64pc of capacity sits with large, broad-based companies, while the rest belongs to specialised firms more exposed to market swings. The strain on electrolyser firms also poses a risk to reducing the cost of renewable hydrogen production, as firms leaving the sector could weaken the sector's innovation pipeline, the IEA said. China has 60pc of global manufacturing capacity, ahead of Europe at 20pc and the US at 10pc. Installing a Chinese-made electrolyser in China cost $500-1,100/kW in 2025, against $1,900-2,500/kW for systems made outside China. The gap narrows sharply for Chinese kit installed abroad, where engineering, procurement and construction and contingency costs make up much of the total, the watchdog said. Costs outside China could fall to $1,500-1,900/kW by 2030 on FID-backed and strong-potential projects, approaching China's 2025 range, the IEA said. But that hinges on more orders to lift factory use, and projects are still struggling to secure FIDs. By Chingis Idrissov Electrolyser manufacturing capacity by region GW/yr Announced manufacturing capacity by 2030 % Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Acme signs 100,000 t/yr e-methanol offtake with MGC

Related news posts

Netherlands approves €450mn subsidy for H2 storage

Netherlands approves €450mn subsidy for H2 storage

BP drops Australia green H2 project after fund snub

BP drops Australia green H2 project after fund snub

Stegra closes €1.4bn funding for low-carbon steel plant

Stegra closes €1.4bn funding for low-carbon steel plant

Methanol-to-jet nears ASTM approval in SAF supply boost

Methanol-to-jet nears ASTM approval in SAF supply boost

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