Worley and Topsoe unite on e-methanol production in US

April 15, 2025, by Aida Čučuk

Australian engineering and professional services company Worley has entered into a collaboration with Danish technology company Topsoe to accelerate standardized, modular e-methanol production plants in the U.S. Midwest.

According to Worley, the partnership aims to support the shipping industry transition to low-carbon fuels while addressing growing demand, with each facility expected to produce up to 600 tonnes of e-methanol per day.

As informed, Topsoe will provide the methanol synthesis technology, while Worley will develop the green hydrogen facilities, handling electrolyzer procurement and overall integration.

“By adopting a standardized, modular approach this collaboration will fast track the rollout of e-Methanol plants enabling efficient production that supports customers sustainability goals,” Worley claimed.

To note, e-methanol produced from green hydrogen and biogenic CO2 is said to offer a renewable alternative to conventional methanol, helping reduce emissions in industries under increasing pressure to decarbonize. Worley stressed that the shipping industry alone accounts for nearly 3% of global emissions, presenting a “significant opportunity” to lower emissions through e-methanol adoption.

Bojan Popovic, Group VP of Low Carbon Fuels at Worley, commented: “We’re using our combined expertise with Topsoe to deliver a standardized, modular production model for e-Methanol that meets the needs of industries looking to reduce emissions. Our approach will offer a solution for the efficient, rapid deployment of e-Methanol plants, helping customers decarbonize at scale.”

It is understood that this collaboration will focus on pairing with bioethanol producers in the U.S. Midwest to leverage biogenic CO2 as a key feedstock for e-methanol production.

“By combining CO2 emissions from ethanol facilities with green hydrogen, we aim to establish a dedicated low carbon fuel supply chain for shipping and other sectors. This initiative will create a steady supply of e-Methanol and offer an alternative to carbon capture and storage in regions where traditional methods may not be feasible,” Worley said.

Flemming Kanstrup, Senior Director at Topsoe, stated: “This collaboration allows us to leverage our shared expertise to develop a robust framework for e-Methanol production that can play a crucial role in decarbonising some of our key industries. By enabling bioethanol producers to harness biogenic CO2 and transform it into a low-carbon fuel, we’re making strides in emissions reduction and fostering a more sustainable circular economy. This approach meets the growing demand for e-Methanol from the shipping industry and other sectors, helping to establish a strong supply chain at pace.”

In other news, it is worth mentioning that at the beginning of 2025, U.S. ammonia plants developer First Ammonia selected Worley to deliver the front-end engineering design (FEED) for its flagship ammonia facility in Texas, U.S.

This facility has an initial anticipated production capacity of 300 metric tonnes of electric ammonia per day and will utilize solid oxide electrolyzer technology (SOEC) for hydrogen production.

Earlier, in 2024, First Ammonia signed sales and service agreements with Topsoe for the production of the first solid oxide electrolyzers for the project. The deal enables the fabrication of the first 100 MW SOEC modules to begin at Topsoe’s new factory in Herning, Denmark.