World's first commercial e-methanol plant inaugurated in Denmark
The world's first large-scale commercial e-methanol facility was officially inaugurated yesterday in Aabenraa, Denmark, marking a significant breakthrough in industrial decarbonisation efforts.
The Kassø Power-to-X facility, developed by European Energy and operated in collaboration with Mitsui & Co., has an annual production capacity of 42,000 tonnes of e-methanol. The facility is owned by Solar Park Kassø ApS under Kassø MidCo ApS, with European Energy holding a 51% stake and Mitsui & Co. 49%.
Situated next to Northern Europe's largest solar park—the 304 MW Kassø Solar Park—the facility integrates renewable power generation with carbon capture. By combining biogenic CO₂ with green hydrogen produced on-site using Siemens Energy electrolysers, the plant manufactures e-methanol with up to a 97% reduced carbon footprint compared to fossil-based alternatives.
The LEGO Group plans to use the e-methanol to produce select LEGO elements such as cross axles and connectors later this year. "This partnership is a powerful example of how collaboration across industries can accelerate meaningful progress," said Carsten Rasmussen, Chief Operations Officer at the LEGO Group.
Shipping giant Maersk will use the e-methanol to fuel Laura Maersk, the world's first container vessel capable of operating on methanol, while Novo Nordisk will incorporate it to reduce the environmental impact of their products.
The facility, which produced its first five tonnes of e-methanol in March, recently received certification under the EU's sustainability framework for renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBO) reportedly the first of its kind for methanol production.
