Ørsted broke ground on Europe’s largest e-methanol project, FlagshipONE, according to a news release.
The groundbreaking of FlagshipONE not only marks the construction start of the project, but also the first steps in a new green era of shipping, where large-scale methanol production facilities will supply a constantly growing fleet of methanol-powered vessels, according to the release.
Currently, over 110 e-methanol vessels have been ordered or are in operation, up from 80 vessels at the end of 2022. At the same time, new regulation such as FuelEU Maritime is also increasing the demand for new, green maritime fuels. FlagshipONE will start production in 2025, when it will produce 50,000 tonnes of e-methanol yearly.
Originally developed by the Swedish e-fuels company Liquid Wind, FlagshipONE will be located next to Övik Energi’s combined heat and power plant Hörneborgsverket in Örnsköldsvik, where the groundbreaking event also took place.
The event was attended by political representatives from both local, regional, national, and international bodies, as well as by representatives from partner companies, including Siemens Energy, Carbon Clean, and Topsoe, who will deliver the electrolysers and control system, the carbon capture equipment, and the methanol synthesis equipment, respectively. In addition to these major equipment suppliers, local companies are already involved in the project, and the operation of the plant will also create direct and indirect jobs in Örnskoldsvik.
Global shipping accounts for around 3 % of global carbon emissions, and the sector is a focus area for Ørsted as the company expands its presence in Power-to-X across Northern Europe and the US. FlagshipONE is the first e-methanol project in Ørsted’s ambitious green fuel pipeline; the company is also developing the 300,000 tonnes/year ‘Project Star’ in the US Gulf Coast area and the ‘Green Fuels for Denmark’ project in Copenhagen, which will also produce significant volumes of e-methanol to enable the decarbonization of shipping.
FlagshipONE is located on the grounds of the biomass-fired combined heat and power plant Hörneborgsverket in Örnsköldsvik, operated by Övik Energi. The e-methanol from FlagshipONE will be produced using renewable electricity and biogenic carbon dioxide captured from Hörneborgsverket. In addition, FlagshipONE will use steam, process water, and cooling water from Hörneborgsverket, and excess heat from the e-methanol production process will be delivered back to Övik Energi and integrated into their district heating supply.
