E-methanol for shipping. 150 MW.
Umeå, the northernmost node, is nicknamed the City of Birches. The trees and the Ume River flowing past modern cultural centres and older buildings give the city an inviting atmosphere. The university ensures innovation is part of the city’s DNA, collaborating with the hospital and art museums to advance both medical sciences and the humanities. Producing electrofuel by reusing carbon dioxide fits perfectly into this profile
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Umeå, the largest city in northern Sweden, is a hub for education, culture and innovation. It was originally built where Ume älv reaches the Gulf of Bothnia, but post-glacial land uplift has moved the town inland. A hundred years ago, the city’s port was moved downstream to Holmsund, which now handles around 2.6 million tonnes of cargo annually, connecting northern Sweden to Finland and Europe. North of the city centre, the municipal energy company runs Dåva, a combined heat and power plant at an eco-industrial park. By around 2029, a new electrofuel plant will be added. It will combine renewable hydrogen with biogenic carbon dioxide to produce e-methanol for international shipping markets. The plant is expected to produce roughly 20,000 tonnes of renewable hydrogen per year, all of which will be converted into about 100,000 tonnes of e-methanol. This will be transported to Holmsund and further to customers all over the world. The facility will be operated by Liquid Wind in partnership with Umeå Energi. Liquid Wind is developing similar plants along the Swedish and Finnish coasts, including one in Örnsköldsvik. The two plants will act as digital twins, sharing data to improve performance at both sites. By demonstrating e-methanol production at this scale, Umeå shows how a modern, knowledge-intensive city can contribute to decarbonising global shipping.