A.P. Moller – Maersk, the LEGO Group and Novo Nordisk are three companies that will be using e-methanol in their operations from a new facility in Aabenraa, Denmark.
The Kassø e-methanol facility was officially inaugurated and is now supplying e-methanol to offtakers.
Developed by European Energy and operated in collaboration with Mitsui & Co., the facility is owned by Solar Park Kassø ApS under Kassø MidCo ApS, with European Energy A/S holding a 51% stake and Mitsui & Co. 49%.
The Kassø facility is the first of its kind globally to produce e-methanol at commercial scale. The plant has an annual production capacity of 42,000 tons and operates entirely on renewable energy sources.
Situated next to Northern Europe’s largest solar park — the 304 MW Kassø Solar Park — the facility integrates large-scale renewable power generation with carbon capture and utilization. By combining biogenic CO2 with green hydrogen produced on-site, the Kassø e-methanol facility manufactures e-methanol with up to a 97% reduced carbon footprint compared to fossil-based products.
The project is designed to support the direct decarbonization of sectors that are otherwise difficult to electrify. A.P. Moller – Maersk will use e-methanol produced at Kassø to fuel Laura Mærsk, the world’s first container vessel capable of operating on methanol.
E-methanol from the facility will also be used in industrial processes where fossil-based methanol has traditionally been standard. One such application is in plastics, where manufacturers aim to adopt more sustainable materials while maintaining safety and quality standards. The LEGO Group and Novo Nordisk are also offtakers of e-methanol from Kassø, using it to replace fossil methanol in the production of selected products.
“Sourcing renewable e-methanol is part of our ambition to make LEGO® products more sustainable and reduce carbon emissions,” said Carsten Rasmussen, Chief Operations Officer at the LEGO Group, in a statement. “Later this year, we will use the material to produce select LEGO elements – such as cross axles and connectors – while maintaining our high standards of safety, durability, and quality. This partnership is a powerful example of how collaboration and innovation across industries can accelerate meaningful progress.”