Denmark’s Ørsted has acquired full ownership of the Swedish project FlagshipONE, which is set to become Europe’s largest e-methanol plant for shipping fuel in 2025.
The Fredericia-based utility has acquired the remaining 55% stake in the project from Swedish power-to-fuel player Liquid Wind, the original developer of the project. A final investment decision has been made, with construction expected to start in the spring of 2023. Once fully operational, the facility will produce around 50,000 tonnes of e-methanol yearly.
The project will be located on the grounds of the biomass-fired combined heat and power plant Hörneborgsverket in Örnsköldsvik, operated by Övik Energi. The e-methanol 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. Excess heat from the e-methanol production process will be delivered back to Övik Energi and integrated in their district heating supply.
The FlagshipONE e-methanol project is the first in Ørsted’s ambitious green fuels pipeline. The company is also developing the 300,000 tonne ‘Project Star’ in the US Gulf Coast area and the ‘Green Fuels for Denmark’ project in Copenhagen, which will both produce significant volumes of e-methanol for shipping.
