New Finnish e-methane project targets bunkering demand

Belgian hydrogen producer Tree Energy Solutions (TES) and project developer CPC Finland will build a 125,000 mt/year of e-methane production plant at the Port of Rauma in Finland.

IMAGE: Aerial view of Port of Rauma in Finland. Port of Rauma

Port of Rauma is a cargo port located in the southern part of the Gulf of Bothnia.

E-methane, or synthetic methane, is produced by combining green hydrogen generated from renewable electricity, with biogenic or captured CO2 through a process called Sabatier. The resulting product is then liquefied, so it can be used as a bunker fuel.

In this case, approximately 60,000 mt/year of green hydrogen will be produced at the facility and the biogenic CO2 will be sourced from Finnish “biogenic emitters,” TES said.

The liquefied e-methane will be shipped both within Europe and internationally.

“As a drop-in fuel, e-NG [e-methane] can be used to decarbonise sectors such as steel, shipping, and heavy transport,” said Marco Alverà, chief executive of TES.

The fuel can be used on its own or blended with LNG in LNG-capable dual-fuel vessels.

“This sustainable synthetic methane, molecularly identical to natural gas, can seamlessly replace fossil molecules and accelerate global decarbonisation by harnessing existing infrastructure,” TES explained.

The final investment decision for the plant is planned by 2028, though no specific operational timeline has been announced for the project.

“Finland has transposed EU RED III into national law and is positioning itself as a pioneer in renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBOs), such as e-NG,” TES added. “[Finland's] forward-looking approach to a multi-gas energy system creates a favourable environment for large-scale synthetic fuel projects and reinforces the country’s role in accelerating the energy transition.”

By Konica Bhatt

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