Orsted abandons flagship e-methanol project
Danish firm takes $220m hit as it halts Europe’s largest project in setback for transition to green shipping fuels
Danish renewable energy company Orsted has halted construction of Europe’s largest synthetic methanol production project, citing the slower-than-expected development of Europe’s green fuels markets. The FlagshipONE project, based at Ornskoldsvik in northern Sweden, had been scheduled to start up in 2025, with initial output of 55,000t/yr of e-methanol produced from electrolytic hydrogen and biogenic CO₂. Orsted’s decision to abandon the project more than a year into its construction has resulted in it booking a DKK1.5bn ($220m) impairment loss. “The liquid e-fuel market in Europe is developing slower than expected, and we have taken the strategic decision to de-prioritise our efforts within
Also in this section
5 December 2024
The new edition of Outlook, our annual publication about the year ahead for energy, produced in association with White & Case, is available now
4 December 2024
European Hydrogen Bank’s second auction opens amid uncertainty over green hydrogen sector’s near-term prospects
4 December 2024
Chinese developers are latest to enter the fray as country’s pipeline of green hydrogen projects implies potential investment of $28b by end of decade
27 November 2024
The clean hydrogen sector has endured a difficult year, but it will end 2024 better equipped to fulfil its long-term potential