Liquid Wind to develop Swedish eMethanol plant

Sweden’s NorthStarH2 has taken another step forward with the appointment of eFuel plant developer Liquid Wind to bring the sustainable methanol production project to fruition.

In February 2024, municipality-owned energy company Jämtkraft AB agreed with German energy company subsidiary Uniper Sweden to develop NorthStarH2, a plant which will use carbon capture and electrolysis to create eMethanol for use in the transport and chemical industries.

The new facility will be co-located with Jämtkraft’s Lugnvik biomass-fired combined heat and power plant, and could create over 100,000 tonnes of eMethanol once fully developed, the companies said.

Liquid Wind has been chosen to develop the project by applying the company’s unique project methology, a standarised design and digital platform that enables efficient replication to replace fossil fuels and feedstock, they added.

Claes Fredriksson, CEO and founder of Liquid Wind, said: “We are very pleased to be part of Uniper’s NorthStarH2 project. NorthStarH2 shows clearly that Sweden continues to drive the green transition with the help of the country’s renewable sources, and that eFuel will play a crucial role in electrifying numerous sectors such as shipping, aviation and chemical industries.”

Jan Taschenberger, Uniper COO new green power and gas, said: “With this innovative project for the production of green methanol, we are breaking new ground with Liquid Wind – both in terms of technology and in the way we collaborate.”

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The latest announcement follows the signing of a strategic partnership between Liquid Wind and Uniper " further accelerate the development of eFuel facilities to produce fossil-free eMethanol". The scope of the agreement includes contracting Liquid Wind to provide development services for Uniper eFuel plants, Uniper supplying facilities with green electricity, and Uniper offtaking eMethanol for commercial distribution.