OSLO, May 13 (Xinhua) -- The world's first commercial-scale e-methanol production facility powered entirely by renewable energy officially began operations on Tuesday in Aabenraa, southern Denmark, marking a milestone in the transition to low-carbon fuels.
With an annual production capacity of 42,000 metric tons, the Kasso facility is the first of its kind to synthesize e-methanol using green hydrogen and biogenic carbon dioxide. The process results in a product with up to a 97 percent lower carbon footprint than traditional fossil-based methanol.
Located next to the 304-megawatt Kasso Solar Park - the largest of its kind in Northern Europe - the plant integrates renewable electricity with green hydrogen production and carbon capture and utilization (CCU) technology.
Developed by European Energy, a Denmark-based green energy project developer, the facility is operated in partnership with Japan's investment and trading company Mitsui. European Energy holds a 51 percent stake in the project, and Mitsui holds 49 percent.
"This is renewable energy in action, transforming how we use electricity," said Knud Erik Andersen, CEO of European Energy. The project represents an effort to bring "Power-to-X technologies into real-world use," he added.
The first deliveries of e-methanol will be made to the Danish shipping giant A.P. Moller-Maersk, the global toy maker LEGO Group, and the pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk. All three companies are integrating e-methanol into their operations as part of broader sustainability strategies.
