Munich (energate) - Siemens Energy will supply the technology for a major e-fuels project in Sweden. In the central Swedish coastal town of Örnsköldsvik, energy company Ørsted is building Europe's largest commercial production facility for CO2-neutral marine fuels. The heart of the plant, called Flagship One, will be a technology package from Siemens Energy, the company said. This includes four PEM electrolysers with a total capacity of 70 MW, as well as compressors and automation technology. The plant in northeastern Sweden is expected to produce 50,000 tonnes of e-methanol per year from renewable energy and CO2 from biogenic sources by 2025.
Use in dual-fuel propulsion systems in ships
The concept of Flagship One is to produce green hydrogen by electrolysis using green electricity. In a further synthesis step, carbon dioxide from a nearby biomass cogeneration plant is added. The e-methanol produced in this way has the advantage of being easy to store and transport. As a CO2-neutral fuel, the methanol can then be used in so-called dual-fuel ship propulsion systems, either exclusively or as an additive to conventional fuels. In this way, the e-fuels produced at the new Swedish plant alone could save around 100,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions in shipping each year.
Increased efforts for greener shipping
Ørsted's plant also marks the start of commercial production of CO2-neutral e-methanol in Europe. Until now, this type of fuel has not been widely available because it is much more expensive than fossil fuels and there is therefore no market for it. However, efforts to make shipping greener are increasing worldwide. Flagship One could therefore serve as a blueprint for similar projects, says Siemens Energy. The concept was developed by the Swedish power-to-x provider Liquid Wind (
energate reported). The company aims to build at least ten of these plants in Scandinavia by 2030. The next plant, with an electrolysis capacity of 140 MW for 100,000 tonnes of e-methanol per year, is already being planned. Siemens Energy is also involved in this project.
Norway has also recently launched a project to produce e-fuels with German participation. Hy2gen AG, based in Wiesbaden, Germany, plans to produce green ammonia as a fuel for the maritime sector in the Norwegian municipality of Sauda. The Iverson E-Fuels project has an initial electrolysis capacity of 240 MW (
energate reported), with commissioning scheduled for 2027. /ml
