Mitsui & Co. and European Energy are expanding the commercial reach of e-methanol produced from green hydrogen at their Kassø facility in southern Denmark, adding applications across shipping, chemicals and road transport.
The e-methanol is produced at the Kassø plant in Aabenraa Municipality by Solar Park Kassø ApS, a subsidiary of a joint venture between Mitsui and European Energy. The fuel is made by combining green hydrogen produced using renewable electricity with biogenic CO₂, creating a synthetic methanol that can replace fossil-based alternatives in several applications.
The project began commercial deliveries in May 2025, when its first shipment of e-methanol was supplied to A.P. Moller – Maersk for use as marine fuel. Since then, Mitsui and European Energy have broadened the customer base as they seek to establish additional markets for green hydrogen-derived fuels.
From green hydrogen to shipping, chemicals and road transport
In spring 2026, the Kassø project began supplying e-methanol for chemical applications to LEGO Group and Novo Nordisk.
The customer portfolio is expanding further with plans to supply OMV with e-methanol certified as a Renewable Fuel of Non-Biological Origin (RFNBO) for use in land-based transportation.
The development illustrates one potential route for bringing green hydrogen into sectors where using hydrogen directly can be more challenging. By converting renewable hydrogen into methanol, producers can take advantage of existing methanol storage and distribution infrastructure.
According to Mitsui, this compatibility is one of e-methanol’s main advantages. The company sees synthetic fuels as a way of extending the role of green hydrogen into transport applications, including road transport and aviation.
Green hydrogen at the heart of e-methanol production
The Kassø production process relies on hydrogen generated with renewable electricity. That green hydrogen is synthesised with CO₂ derived from biomass to produce low-carbon methanol.
This means the expansion of the e-methanol market also creates an additional route to commercialise renewable hydrogen production at scale. Rather than limiting green hydrogen to direct industrial or mobility applications, conversion into derivatives such as e-methanol allows the renewable molecule to reach sectors already equipped to handle liquid fuels.
Mitsui expects European demand for e-methanol to increase, particularly in Germany, supported by regulatory frameworks including the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive (RED III).
For Mitsui, the project forms part of its “Global Energy Transformation 2.0” strategic initiative under its Medium-term Management Plan 2029, which includes expanding its portfolio of lower-carbon energy products and associated value chains.
With Kassø e-methanol now moving into maritime fuel, chemical production and road transport, Mitsui and European Energy are demonstrating how green hydrogen can be converted into a more easily transported and stored derivative and supplied across several different end-use markets.