Press release

Kassø e-methanol facility officially inaugurated

May 13, 2025

The world’s first large-scale commercial e-methanol facility, the Kassø e-methanol facility, has been officially inaugurated and is ready to deliver e-methanol to key partners.

Copenhagen, Denmark, 13 May 2025 – The Kassø e-methanol facility in Aabenraa, Denmark, has been officially inaugurated and is now supplying e-methanol to offtakers.

Developed by European Energy and operated in collaboration with Mitsui & Co., the facility is owned by Solar Park Kassø ApS under Kassø MidCo ApS, with European Energy A/S holding a 51% stake and Mitsui & Co. 49%.

The Kassø e-methanol facility is supplying e-methanol to industry leaders including A.P. Moller – Maersk, the LEGO Group, and Novo Nordisk. These companies have a shared ambition to adopt lower-carbon solutions.

The Kassø facility is the first of its kind globally to produce e-methanol at commercial scale. The plant has an annual production capacity of 42,000 tonnes and operates entirely on renewable energy sources.

Situated next to Northern Europe’s largest solar park—the 304 MW Kassø Solar Park—the facility integrates large-scale renewable power generation with carbon capture and utilisation. By combining biogenic CO₂ with green hydrogen produced on-site, the Kassø e-methanol facility manufactures e-methanol with up to a 97% reduced carbon footprint compared to fossil-based products.

The project is designed to support the direct decarbonisation of sectors that are otherwise difficult to electrify. A.P. Moller – Maersk will use e-methanol produced at Kassø to fuel Laura Mærsk, the world’s first container vessel capable of operating on methanol. E-methanol from the facility will also be used in industrial processes where fossil-based methanol has traditionally been standard. One such application is in plastics, where manufacturers aim to adopt more sustainable materials while maintaining safety and quality standards. The LEGO Group and Novo Nordisk are also offtakers of e-methanol from Kassø, using it to replace fossil methanol in the production of selected products.

Mitsui & Co. has contributed strategic expertise and global reach to support the facility’s long-term development and operation. The collaboration between European Energy and Mitsui reflects a shared ambition to accelerate commercial pathways for Power-to-X technologies and expand the use of low-emission alternatives in hard-to-abate sectors globally.

Knud Erik Andersen, CEO of European Energy, said:

“The start of operations at Kassø marks a major step forward in bringing Power-to-X technologies into real-world use. This is renewable energy in action, transforming how we use electricity.”

Takashi Furutani, Senior Executive Managing Officer at Mitsui & Co.

“We are honoured to play a pivotal role in advancing this pioneering project, which fosters integrated approaches across product value chains as part of our Global Energy Transition strategy. Kassø exemplifies the importance of international collaboration in scaling low-emission solutions.”

Rabab Raafat Boulos, Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer at A.P. Moller – Maersk, said:

“We are excited to receive the first e-methanol from the Kassø facility, marking an important milestone in our global efforts to source alternative fuels for our vessel fleet. The future of shipping must include multiple fuel types operating alongside each other, with methanol playing a key role in the industry’s net-zero ambitions.”

Carsten Rasmussen, Chief Operations Officer at the LEGO Group, said:

“Sourcing renewable e-methanol is part of our ambition to make LEGO® products more sustainable and reduce carbon emissions. Later this year, we will use the material to produce select LEGO elements—such as cross axles and connectors—while maintaining our high standards of safety, durability, and quality. This partnership is a powerful example of how collaboration and innovation across industries can accelerate meaningful progress.”

Dorethe Nielsen, VP Corporate Environmental Strategy, Novo Nordisk, said:

“This partnership enables us to take practical steps in decarbonising our supply chain and reducing the environmental impact of our products.”

About European Energy

European Energy develops, finances, constructs and operates wind and solar farms as well as Power-to-X facilities. Based in Copenhagen, Denmark, the company is developing projects in 25 countries. Founded in 2004, European Energy has a development pipeline of more than 65 GW of renewable energy projects.

About Mitsui & Co.

Mitsui & Co. is a global investment and trading company with a presence in more than 60 countries and a diverse business portfolio covering a wide range of industries. The company identifies, develops and grows its businesses in partnership with a global network of trusted partners including world leading companies, combining its geographic and cross-industry strengths to create long-term sustainable value for its stakeholders. Mitsui has set three key strategic initiatives for its current Medium-term Management Plan: supporting industries to grow and evolve with stable supplies of resources and materials, providing infrastructure; promoting a global transition to low-carbon and renewable energy; and empowering people to lead healthy lives through the delivery of quality healthcare and access to good nutrition.

Visit https://www.mitsui.com/jp/en/ for more information.

About Maersk

A.P. Moller – Maersk is an integrated logistics company working to connect and simplify its customers’ supply chains. As a global leader in logistics services, the company operates in more than 130 countries and employs around 100,000 people. Maersk is aiming to reach net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2040 across the entire business with new technologies, new vessels, and reduced GHG emissions fuels.

About the LEGO Group

The LEGO Group’s mission is to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow through the power of play. The LEGO® System in Play, with its foundation in LEGO bricks, allows children and fans to build and rebuild anything they can imagine.

The LEGO Group was founded in Billund, Denmark in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen, its name derived from the two Danish words Leg Godt, which mean “Play Well”.

Today, the LEGO Group remains a family-owned company headquartered in Billund. Its products are now sold in more than 120 countries worldwide.

For more information: www.LEGO.com

About Novo Nordisk

Novo Nordisk is a leading global healthcare company founded in 1923 and headquartered in Denmark. Our purpose is to drive change to defeat serious chronic diseases built upon our heritage in diabetes. We do so by pioneering scientific breakthroughs, expanding access to our medicines, and working to prevent and ultimately cure disease. Novo Nordisk employs about 77,400 people in 80 countries and markets its products in around 170 countries. For more information, visit novonordisk.com, Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn and YouTube.