Ørsted Breaks Ground on FlagshipONE E-Methanol Project

Ørsted broke ground on Europe’s largest e-methanol project, FlagshipONE, on May 24.

FlagshipONE will start production in 2025 and will produce 50,000 tonnes of e-methanol annually. The maritime sector is a key target for the methanol. Currently, over 110 e-methanol vessels have been ordered or are in operation, up from 80 vessels at the end of 2022.

Originally developed by the Swedish e-fuels company Liquid Wind, FlagshipONE will be located next to Övik Energi’s combined heat and power plant Hörneborgsverket in Örnsköldsvik, where the ground-breaking event also took place.

The e-methanol from FlagshipONE will be produced using renewable electricity and biogenic carbon dioxide captured from Hörneborgsverket. In addition, FlagshipONE will use steam, process water, and cooling water from Hörneborgsverket, and excess heat from the e-methanol production process will be delivered back to Övik Energi and integrated into their district heating supply.  

Anders Nordstrøm, COO of Ørsted P2X, says: “FlagshipONE will be the first project in a new green industry in Sweden, which Ørsted intends to spearhead.”

FlagshipONE is the first e-methanol project in Ørsted’s green fuel pipeline. The company is also developing the 300,000 tonnes/year Project Star in the US Gulf Coast area and the Green Fuels for Denmark project in Copenhagen, which will also produce significant volumes of e-methanol to enable the decarbonisation of shipping.

Partner companies include Siemens Energy, Carbon Clean, and Topsoe, who will deliver the electrolyzers and control system, the carbon capture equipment, and the methanol synthesis equipment, respectively.