Mitsui & Co., Ltd. And renewable energy company European Energy A/S are broadening the customer base and applications for the world’s first e-methanol, produced at a plant in Kassø, Aabenraa Municipality, southern Denmark.
The plant was set up by Solar Park Kasso ApS, a subsidiary of a joint venture between Mitsui and European Energy, as demand increasing for low-carbon fuels and materials across Europe.
The venture made its first shipment in May 2025, offering e-methanol to Danish shipping giant A.P. Moller – Maersk for use as marine fuel.
The momentum has persisted into 2026. In spring 2026, the venture start supplying e-methanol for use in chemical products to LEGO, the global toy producer, and Novo Nordisk, the global healthcare company.
The customer base is also broadening beyond shipping and industrial products. Mitsui and European Energy have decided to supply e-methanol to leading European energy company OMV as a Renewable Fuel of Non-Biological Origin (RFNBO) to be used as a land-based transportation fuel.
The widening range of applications emphasizes the potential of e-methanol as Europe increases efforts to cut carbon emissions across transport and industry.
Mitsui has detected “Global Energy Transformation 2.0” as a main strategic initiative under its Medium-time Management Plan 2029. The company goals to expand its portfolio of low-carbon energy products whilst creating value chains that respond to quickly changing market conditions and consumer requirements.
E-methanol is produced by integrating green hydrogen, generated using of renewable electricity, with green carbon dioxide (CO2) derived from biomass. Unlike technologies that depends completely on green hydrogen, e-methanol can leverage existing methanol distribution networks and storage infrastructure, giving it a potentially major benefit as demand for low-carbon fuels grows.
The fuel can guide decarbonization across numerous sectors, such as transportation applications where the direct use of green hydrogen stays challenging, which includes land transport and aviation.
Demand is anticipated to increase across Europe, specifically in Germany, as policy measures inclusive of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED III) drive the adoption of renewable fuels.
With Mitsui and European Energy widening both the customer base and applications for e-methanol, the Kassø venture is emerging as a main platform for scaling low-carbon methanol and assisting Europe’s broaden energy transition.
