Sweden – The FlagshipONE, Europe’s largest commercial production plant for carbon-neutral marine fuels being developed by Ørsted and Liquid Wind in northeastern Sweden, greatly benefits from the technology package provided by Siemens Energy.
Four proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzers with a combined capacity of 70 megawatts, as well as the full power distribution and compressor systems, unique digitalization solutions, and plant-wide electrification and automation systems are all being provided by Siemens Energy.
From 2025, the facility, which is being constructed near the coastal Swedish town of Örnsköldsvik, will be able to manufacture up to 50,000 metric tons of e-methanol annually using renewable energy and biogenic carbon dioxide. This can avoid 100,000 tons of CO2 emissions annually in shipping by replacing fossil fuels.
Blueprint project
With its innovative methodology, Ørsted’s plant marks the beginning of commercial e-methanol production in Europe. FlagshipONE will serve as a blueprint—a “copy-and-paste” model—that can be scaled and copied at other places, in Sweden and worldwide, rather than constructing unique plants at each location. The original developer of FlagshipONE, the Swedish business Liquid Wind AB, is responsible for the standardization strategy.
By 2030, Liquid Wind intends to build at least ten plants in Scandinavia that can be replicated to create e-fuel. Siemens Energy, a partner of Liquid Wind, contributes significantly to the growth and development of this ground-breaking idea and, with its technology package, creates the framework for making these e-fuel facilities a reality.
Decarbonizing maritime transportation
Siemens Energy electrolyzers are used by FlagshipONE to manufacture green hydrogen utilizing renewable electricity. A neighboring biomass-fired combined heat and power plant is used to supply biogenic carbon dioxide at a later stage of the synthesis process. A CO2-neutral electrofuel that is simple to store and transport is the resulting e-methanol. The e-methanol from FlagshipONE will be utilized in “dual-fuel” ship engines, either on its own or in combination with conventional gasoline, and will help to decarbonize international maritime transportation, which is responsible for 3% of the world’s carbon emissions.
Expanding the sector
Green fuels are currently not available in adequate quantities and are far more expensive than fossil fuels. Now comes FlagshipONE to the rescue. The plant offers a model for modular e-methanol plants that can be used to expand the sector in a way that is adaptable and market-focused, as well as to enable experience that can be used to develop new and current plants utilizing the digital-twin idea over time. The following facility, FlagshipTWO, is already under construction by Liquid Wind and will have a 140 MW electrolyzer that can produce 100,000 metric tons of e-methanol per year for the market.
