BASF to supply gas treatment solution for Forestal’s Triskelion project

Spanish shipping and chemicals company Forestal del Atlántico and Germany’s chemical manufacturing player BASF have inked an early disclosure agreement (EDA) with the goal of accelerating the production of e-methanol (eMeOH) through carbon capture solutions.

Under the terms of the agreement, BASF is set to share its proprietary OASE blue gas technology, a treatment solution engineered to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from flue gases, for use in Forestal del Atlántico’s Triskelion project in Galicia, Spain. The technology is said to have a low energy consumption, low solvent losses, and a flexible operating range.

As disclosed, the carbon dioxide captured from the exhaust gases of electricity-generating turbines will be turned into e-methanol by allowing it to react with renewable hydrogen. As explained, the e-methanol is intended for applications in the shipping and chemicals industries.

According to BASF, the EDA could facilitate ‘important’ input for the front end engineering design (FEED) that a third-party contractor hired by Forestal would develop. This process is expected to help the Spain-based firm to assess the project’s technical feasibility as well as economic viability.

Speaking on the occasion, Torsten Katz, Global Business Director, OASE Gas Treating Technologies, at BASF’s Intermediates division, highlighted that the collaboration with Forestal was a ‘great’ opportunity to bolster the usage and production of sustainable fuels in the region.

“This partnership addresses the need for innovative solutions in carbon capture and utilization, marking a significant stride towards reducing global emissions. By collaborating with Forestal, we are setting the foundation for one of the first plants to produce e-methanol using our OASE technology,” Katz shared.

“By utilizing CO2 captured from our production processes, we are embracing a more sustainable approach to fuel production,” Andrés Fuentes, CEO of Forestal del Atlántico, added.

The partnership with BASF is anticipated to provide “great leverage” for Forestal’s Triskelion project, which reportedly possesses a design capacity to produce a daily amount of 156 metric tons of e-methanol—a fuel believed to be a ‘vital’ piece of the decarbonization puzzle.

It is understood that the endeavor is the first one of strategic interest by the Xunta de Galicia, a regional government office located in Santiago, Spain. As time progresses, the estimates are that the plant could end up producing 40,000 tons of green methanol per year, with the potential of increasing this number to 56,000 tons in subsequent phases.

Per Forestal, the necessary investment for the Triskelion initiative—which clinched a €49 million grant from the European Union Emissions Trading System’s Innovation Fund in 2023—was valued at roughly €186 million.

To remind, in December last year, Forestal revealed that it had selected Danish technology company Topsoe as a solutions provider and engineering partner for the project. As informed, Topsoe would provide its e-methanol reactor and catalyst technologies, as well as engineering support under the agreement.

The final investment decision (FID) is scheduled for June 2025, and the initiative is expected to begin operations in January 2028.