The world's first large-scale commercial e-methanol plant officially commenced operations recently in Aabenraa, Denmark, marking a new phase in the industrial application of e-methanol technology. Siemens Energy provided a 52.5-megawatt (MW) proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer for the green hydrogen production process at the plant, which can produce approximately 8,000 mt of green hydrogen annually, serving as the core raw material for e-methanol synthesis.
Constructed by European Energy, the plant sources its electricity from the adjacent Kasø Solar Park, while carbon dioxide is captured and supplied by Tønder Biogas. The plant can produce approximately 42,000 mt of e-methanol annually, reducing carbon emissions by about 97% compared to traditional processes. The e-methanol produced will be supplied to Maersk for use in its world's first methanol-powered container ship, the Laura Maersk. It will also be used as a raw material by the LEGO Group to produce some LEGO components. Additionally, Novo Nordisk plans to apply it in chemical production, gradually replacing existing fossil fuel-based methanol.
Siemens Energy's PEM electrolyzer technology has been applied in multiple projects. For instance, the company provided key equipment support for BASF's 54-MW electrolyzer project at its Ludwigshafen site in Germany, which is currently the largest single-unit PEM hydrogen production project in operation in Europe. Meanwhile, Siemens Energy is also advancing three 100-MW-class water electrolysis projects for hydrogen production, committed to laying a solid foundation for the large-scale application of green hydrogen energy.
