Construction of an industrial-scale e-methanol plant in Finland

forthcoming

The Kristinestad PtX project, developed by Prime Capital AG and CPC Finland, is aimed at developing, building and operating a large-scale renewable methanol production facility. By making use of its 200 MW alkaline electrolyser, the project will be capable of producing renewable fuel of non-biological origin (RFNBO) hydrogen (ca. 258 kilotonnes during the 10-year grant period), which will directly avoid emissions for approximately 1,763 ktons of CO2e during that same period. The entire plant requires an annual amount of approximately 1.7 TWh of renewable electricity for its operations. Power will be primarily sourced via long-term Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), and – under certain circumstances – also taken directly from the grid while respecting the RFNBO certification criteria. The PPAs allow for long-term visibility over power procurement costs. Kristinestad PtX will secure the required power from a mixture of onshore wind, solar PV, and hydro assets. Water for the hydrogen production will be taken from the sea. The desalination will take place in own facilities. Subsequently, hydrogen will be combined with captured CO2 in a methanol synthesis unit located in the same plant, ultimately delivering e-methanol. The methanol will potentially be produced with two different specifications, which can be used both as maritime fuel and as a base chemical for the production of fuels. The end-product will be delivered via a short pipeline to a nearby harbor from where vessels will pick-up the methanol and ship it to Europe’s major ports. The Kristinestad PtX project will contribute to the European Hydrogen Bank’s objective of supporting domestic production of renewable hydrogen, it will help achieving the objectives of the Renewable Energy Directive for renewable fuels deployment and it will contribute to European industrial leadership and competitiveness. The project will also bring several regional and local benefits. The project is located in the municipality of Kristinestad, Finland, adjacent to the Gulf of Bothnia and the plant will be built directly adjacent to the grounds of a former oil- and coal-fired power plant. Parts of the power plant’s existing infrastructure will be re-used. The plant also follows a zero-waste strategy to avoid negative impacts on the nature and will implement substantial natural compensatory measurements in the region. Several direct and indirect jobs are expected to arise from the construction, operation and distribution of the production units and their end-products. During construction more than 500 workers will be required on site to construct the plant and following construction, a double-digit number of workers will operate the plant and provide related logistic services.