Topsoe joins Gothenburg, Ørsted to develop Europe's biggest green e-methanol plant

Danish methanol producer Topsoe is the latest partner on the FlagshipONE project to build the world's biggest e-fuels plant in Sweden's Örnsköldsvik.

PHOTO: Old cranes in the harbor of the northern Swedish port of Örnsköldsvik. Getty Images

The project partners aim for the plant to produce 50,000 mt/year of green methanol by 2025.

Green electromethanol (e-methanol) is made by combining 100% biogenic carbon dioxide with green hydrogen. Green methanol can help reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 95%.

Topsoe will provide engineering and procurement support for this project. It will supply its proprietary e-methanol loop technology as well as "pre-assembled modules" and "freestanding equipment such as methanol reactors and distillation columns."

In a reactor, synthesis gases containing carbon oxides and hydrogen react with a copper-containing catalyst, to produce methanol inside tubes surrounded by boiling water under pressure. Topsoe uses a boiling-water reactor (BWR) to produce green methanol.

Distillation columns are used to remove any light-end impurities from the produced green methanol.

Green methanol will play a “key role” in decarbonisation of the maritime sector, says Anders Nordstrøm, chief operating officer at Ørsted P2X.

FlagshipONE started as a joint venture between energy companies Ørsted and Liquid Wind, but Ørsted has acquired full ownership of the project as of today.

The Swedish Port of Gothenburg, Swedish ferry operator Stena Line and Danish logistics firm DFDS are also partners on FlagshipONE.

By Konica Bhatt

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