“Combining these technologies could not only produce Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs) and other hydrocarbon fuels with net zero carbon emissions, but also mitigate climate change by converting carbon dioxide into renewable plastics, thus permanently removing this greenhouse gas from the atmosphere,” said Vertimass CEO Charles Wyman.

The move would combine European Energy’s expertise in capturing CO₂ from waste sources, such as anaerobic digestion, power production, fermentation and cement manufacture, to make methanol, with Vertimass’s catalytic technology for conversion into chemicals (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene), jet fuel, diesel and gasoline.

Vertimass obtained exclusive global rights to the technology from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the US in 2014.

European Energy has already built a pilot plant to produce e-methanol in Aalborg together with Aalborg University. The Copenhagen-based firm is also in the process of developing large-scale Power-to-X facilities, which use solar and wind energy to produce e-methanol, at several other sites in Denmark. The first of the large plants will supply e-methanol to shipping giant Maersk from the end of 2023.

Earlier this month, Vertimass entered into a 15-year agreement with US energy products and services group UGI Corp. to jointly develop production facilities using the catalytic technology to convert renewable ethanol into renewable propane and SAF.

UGI expects to invest either solely, jointly with Vertimass, or in partnership with third parties, to build and operate multiple plants in Europe and the US. The target is for a total combined capacity of about 1 billion gallons of renewable fuels per year, with the first plant to go online in fiscal 2024 producing about 50 million gallons annually.

Up to 50% of the total output could be renewable propane that UGI said would supports its ongoing efforts to provide low-carbon, sustainable energy to its customers. A total investment of roughly $500 million is expected to be made in the bolt-on plants over the 15-year period, including potential third-party investment.

Author: Elaine Burridge, Freelance Journalist