Imagine turning pollution from factories and farms into a clean fuel for giant ships. This project builds a specialized plant that captures carbon dioxide and converts it into e-methanol. It's like creating a recycling loop where waste gas becomes the energy that moves vessels across the ocean.
Shipping companies face immense pressure to decarbonize but lack scalable, renewable fuel alternatives and the infrastructure to refuel. Current CO2 emissions from industrial plants are wasted rather than used as a resource.
A TRL7 e-methanol pilot plant and a digital twin for simulation. A replication tool and deployment roadmaps for port authorities.
If you are a shipping fleet operator dealing with strict decarbonization targets — this project developed a TRL7 e-methanol production method that allows ships to run on renewable fuels. This reduces reliance on fossil fuels through tested 2- and 4-stroke engine compatibility.
If you are a port authority dealing with the need for green refueling infrastructure — this project developed a replication tool and roadmap for implementing e-methanol value chains. This enables ports like Valencia and Thessaloniki to attract eco-friendly shipping lines.
If you are a lime plant owner dealing with high CO2 emissions — this project developed two valorisation routes to turn that waste into e-methanol. This transforms a liability into a sellable energy product.
Based on available project data, specific cost figures are not provided, but the project includes detailed economic studies and business modelling to evaluate the financial viability of the value chain.
The project is building and testing a TRL7 pilot plant, which is a high-level prototype designed to recreate real-case conditions before full industrial rollout.
Based on available project data, there is no specific mention of licensing terms, but the project will publish a public guidebook outlining key exploitable results.
The project runs from 2023-09-01 to 2027-08-31, with the goal of preparing implementation roadmaps for the ports of Valencia and Thessaloniki by the end of the period.
The e-fuel is being tested in both 2-stroke and 4-stroke engines, as well as in a pilot boat in open sea, to ensure it works with current shipping hardware.
The consortium is heavily weighted toward commercial application, with a 53% industry ratio consisting of 10 industrial partners. The balance of 19 total partners across 7 countries, including 2 ports and 5 research entities, suggests a strong bridge between academic development and market deployment.
Contact EIFER (Europäisches Institut für Energieforschung) at KIT
Contact us to explore the e-methanol replication tool for your port infrastructure.
