Skip to content

Pioneering green molecules:

WBA chief executive attends opening of world’s first commercial-scale e-methanol plant

 

Industry leaders at the inauguration of the world’s first commercial-scale e-methanol plant, the Kassø facility, in Denmark.
Industry leaders at the inauguration of the world’s first commercial-scale e-methanol plant, the Kassø facility, in Denmark.

The World Biogas Association’s Chief Executive Charlotte Morton OBE was invited to join industry leaders on 13 May 2025 at the official inauguration of the world’s first large-scale commercial e-methanol production facility in Rødekro, Denmark. The event marked a breakthrough in the green fuels landscape, combining a range of technologies and processes to produce e-methanol and demonstrating how multiple innovations across the renewable sector can come together to deliver new solutions.

By pairing biogenic CO₂ (a by-product of anaerobic digestion) with green hydrogen, the project supports the decarbonisation of sectors such as shipping, aviation and chemicals. The facility, a joint venture between European Energy (51%) and Mitsui & Co (49%), sources its biogenic CO₂ from a nearby AD plant and was delivered from conception to operation in just four years. The founders are already exploring the use of even more biogas in their next, more ambitious venture.

The inauguration brought together the developers, funders, government representatives and key offtakers, including A.P. Moller – Maersk, the LEGO Group and Novo Nordisk. Charlotte was invited by Mitsui as a strategic representative of the global biogas industry. Her presence underscored the growing recognition that AD delivers not just biomethane, but also biogenic CO₂ – that can serve as critical feedstocks for other green molecules such as e-methanol. 

“Technologies like this new e-methanol facility show how renewable technologies can be combined to create valuable new products to decarbonise hard to decarbonise industries. Here biogenic CO₂ from anaerobic digestion is a vital feedstock.” Charlotte said. “By turning organic wastes into both renewable gas and a feedstock for other sustainable fuels, the biogas sector is able to maximise the value from those wastes and make a critical contribution to decarbonising hard-to-abate industries. This kind of innovation is critical to achieving the scale of decarbonisation so urgently needed and a net-zero, circular economy.”

The facility itself represents a pioneering  green hydrogen – supplied by three 17.5 MW electrolysers powered approximately 50% by a solar farm and the remainder by the grid – is combined with liquefied biogenic CO₂ from the nearby AD plant to create e-methanol, a clean-burning liquid fuel. This production method demonstrates the potential for biogenic CO₂ to extend the value and impact of AD beyond energy, into fuels and chemicals. 

This engagement came on the heels of a promising conversation between WBA and one of Brazil’s largest landfill gas producers, who are now exploring partnerships to supply biogenic CO₂ to e-methanol facilities. These activities form part of WBA’s ongoing mission to facilitate partnerships and foster cross-sector collaboration to open new markets for its members and scale up innovation in the AD sector.

Discover what’s next for biogas

From sustainable aviation fuel to cutting-edge digestate solutions, the Engine Room Theatre at the World Biogas Expo 2025 will showcase the full spectrum of novel applications for anaerobic digestion and biogas. Join us on 9–10 July at the NEC Birmingham and explore how AD is powering innovation across energy, agriculture, and industry. Register free today

Explore #MakingBiogasHappen

See how WBA’s #MakingBiogasHappen programme is shaping the future of anaerobic digestion – promoting best practice, smart regulation and market incentives to scale up the industry and unlock new opportunities, including novel applications such as e-methanol production.

 

 

Back To Top
World Biogas Association (WBA)
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.