03-04-2025

Clariant announces the successful startup of its MegaMax 900 methanol synthesis catalyst

Clariant, a sustainability-focused specialty chemical company, today announced the successful startup of its MegaMax 900 methanol synthesis catalyst at European Energy’s e-methanol plant. Located in Kasso, Denmark, the facility is one of the world’s first and, up to now, largest commercial e-methanol plant, using biogenic CO2 and green hydrogen to produce up to 42,000 tons of green methanol annually. Clariant's Applied Catalyst Technology (ACT) technical service team provided on-site support throughout the startup procedure, overseeing the catalyst loading, reduction, and startup. MegaMax 900 is operating with excellent activity and stability despite the challenging conditions of CO2-to-methanol conversion.

Georg Anfang, Vice President Syngas and Fuels at Clariant Catalysts, commented, “We are excited about the successful startup of European Energy’s pioneering e-methanol plant. The project is an important milestone in deploying and upscaling green methanol production and we are proud that our catalysts are already producing sustainable methanol at commercial scale. At Clariant, we are committed to catalyzing the energy transition – not only tomorrow but starting today.”

Anders Brendstrup, Vice President at European Energy, added, “We are thrilled to have produced one of the world’s first e-methanol at our Kasso facility. This is a pivotal moment on the journey that started four years ago. We thank Clariant not only for providing their high-performance methanol synthesis catalyst but especially for their comprehensive on-site support. We look forward to continuing this successful partnership in future projects.”

European Energy was founded in 2004 with the goal of driving the green transition and developing sustainable, fossil-free energy solutions. The multinational company has major investments in solar and wind energy projects, as well as Power-to-X and carbon capture technologies.

Clariant’s MegaMax 900 is an ideal solution for European Energy’s Power-to-Methanol project, as it provides the enhanced stability required for green methanol production. The catalyst also offers outstanding activity – even at very low reactor temperatures and pressures. Moreover, MegaMax is very well suited for CO2 to methanol process conditions delivering high conversion rates and long catalyst lifetime. The catalyst’s superior selectivity also widely prevents the formation of by-products in the yield, which greatly improves the sustainability and economics of green methanol synthesis.