Japan’s Mol, Germany’s Hy2gen tie up on e-methanol

Japanese ship operator Mitsui OSK Lines (Mol) and German hydrogen developer Hy2gen will work together to explore the use of e-methanol from Hy2gen’s Nautilus project in Lower Saxony, Germany.

Mol’s agreement with Hy2gen Deutschland, Hy2gen’s wholly owned subsidiary, also involves exploring the use of e-methanol as a marine fuel in the Atlantic region. Hy2gen’s Nautilus project, which is in the planning stage, is planned to produce 60,000 t/yr of e-methanol intended for the shipping industry.

The plant is scheduled to start commercial operations in 2028, Mol said on 25 October. It is important to be involved from the production stage to build an e-methanol supply chain, which is the reason for the latest tie-up, Mol added. Mol aims to have 90 LNG- or methanol-fuelled vessels in service by 2030.

Hy2gen Deutschland will produce the e-methanol by purifying and merging locally available CO2 with hydrogen produced from renewable energy.