Europe's biggest 'green' methanol plant opens
Sitting next to northern Europe's biggest solar panel field and a large transformer station in the Danish countryside, the site will produce e-methanol, a synthetic fuel made from renewable energy and carbon dioxide.
The site, called Kasso, is only the third e-methanol plant in operation in the world after locations in China and the United States, according to the French Bureau of E-fuels.
"Our strategy is to scale up. The next plant will be three times bigger," said Jaime Casasus-Bribian, head of projects at Danish company European Energy, which co-owns the plant with Japanese firm Mitsui.
The facility will produce up to 42,000 tonnes of e-methanol per year, the equivalent of 50 million litres.
The e-methanol will serve as fuel for Maersk ships, raw material for Lego's colourful plastic bricks and a component for Novo Nordisk's insulin injection pens. While the plant is a milestone for Europe, it is small on a global scale.
Maersk alone would need two million tonnes of green methanol each year by 2030 if it were to reduce its fleet's carbon footprint by just 10 per cent, according to its own estimates.
Laura Maersk, the company's first container ship to sail on e-methanol, will fill up at the neighbouring Aabenraa port every quarter, enough to allow it to sail for one month. — AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Observer
a day ago
- Observer
SoftBank's Son backs ally Tan with $2 billion Intel investment
TOKYO: When Lip-Bu Tan stepped down from the SoftBank Group board in 2022 at a time when the Japanese company was grappling with soured investments, his parting message offered advice on how Masayoshi Son's conglomerate could strengthen its business. Three years later, a resurgent SoftBank has made a show of support by taking a $2-billion stake in Intel as Tan, now the storied American company's CEO, seeks to turn around the embattled chipmaker. Tan took Intel's top job in March and is driving restructuring at the company, which lost out to Nvidia in artificial intelligence chips and whose foundry business is struggling. "This is really a vote of confidence of Masa in the turnaround materialising over the coming years," said Rolf Bulk, an analyst at New Street Research. "For Intel, the investment makes it more likely that SoftBank could be a potential client to Intel in the future." The two men have a long-standing relationship. "Masa and I have worked closely together for decades, and I appreciate the confidence he has placed in Intel with this investment," Tan said in a statement. In addition to his time on SoftBank's board, Tan became chairman of chip startup SambaNova, which received backing from SoftBank's Vision Fund. "Masa is brilliant; he's a visionary. But he still needs people to provide safeguards, give him advice, and make him even more successful," Tan wrote in his statement on leaving the SoftBank board. Son, 68, is known as a savvy political operator, appearing publicly with U.S. President Donald Trump twice in the months following the presidential election. He has close relationships with leading tech entrepreneurs such as Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, in which SoftBank has a stake. Last week Tan, 65, met with Trump, who days earlier had called on him to resign due to his ties to Chinese firms. Washington is in talks to take a 10% stake in Intel, Bloomberg has reported. "SoftBank's investment helps but it is not what is going to move the dial for Intel," said Amir Anvarzadeh of Asymmetric Advisors. "It's more to maintain this very good relationship he has with Trump," he said. Son is making splashy investments again after some underperforming tech bets forced a period of retrenchment, with the conglomerate pursuing a $500 billion US data centre venture with OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT. SoftBank has acquired a former electric vehicle factory from Foxconn in Ohio as it looks to advance its Stargate data centre project. Arm, which is controlled by SoftBank, plans to make its own chips, and the Japanese conglomerate also acquired chipmaker Graphcore last year. SoftBank's shares have been on a tear, boosted by positive sentiment around its AI investments. "The $2-billion investment should be viewed more as a strategic stake rather than a financial one," said Nori Chiou, investment director at White Oak Capital Partners. "In the world of cutting-edge semiconductor manufacturing, only capital commitments in the $30 billion-$40 billion range carry true commercial weight," he said. Industry experts say Tan still faces a mountain to climb to turn around Intel, which has suffered from years of management missteps. "It is Masa making a contrarian bet but one where I think the downside risk is fairly limited," said Bulk of New Street Research. — Reuters
Observer
4 days ago
- Observer
Port of Salalah reports strong growth in first half of 2025
MUSCAT, AUG 16 Port of Salalah, Oman's largest container terminal and a leading transshipment hub on the Arabian Sea, has delivered one of its strongest operational and financial performances for the six months ended on June 30, 2025. The Container Terminal (CT) handled 2.03 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), up 21% from 1.68 million TEUs during the corresponding period last year. This growth was attributed to an increase in vessel calls following the successful completion of the terminal's upgrade, as well as the full phasing-in of all Gemini proforma services by Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd. The General Cargo Terminal (GCT) handled 12.91 million metric tonnes during the same period, compared with 11.66 million metric tonnes a year earlier – a growth of 11%. This increase was largely driven by higher exports of dry bulk cargo. Braik bin Musallam al Amri, Chairman of the Board of Directors, credited the improved container throughput to the recently completed terminal upgrade. 'Following the successful completion of our container terminal upgrade project, we are pleased to report a steady recovery in transshipment volumes,' Al Amri said. 'The infrastructure enhancements have significantly increased our handling capacity from 4.5 million TEUs to 6 million TEUs, representing a 1.5 million TEU capacity expansion. The Gemini network has played a pivotal role in supporting this positive trajectory, further solidifying Port of Salalah's position as a premier regional transshipment hub.' Al Amri also noted that general cargo volumes continue to post sustained growth, particularly in dry bulk exports. 'This positive trajectory necessitates focused investment in equipment upgrades and infrastructure enhancements to maintain service quality and support future expansion. Notably, gypsum exports have shown consistent growth, reinforcing Port of Salalah's strategic position as the region's premier gypsum export hub. This specialisation complements our diversified cargo portfolio while driving operational synergies across terminal assets.' On the financial front, Port of Salalah reported consolidated revenue from operations of RO 42.42 million, up from RO 35.04 million last year. Consolidated EBITDA surged to RO 12.78 million from RO 7.13 million, while consolidated net profit rose to RO 2.48 million, compared with RO 1.57 million in H1 2024. According to the Chairman, Port of Salalah is evolving into an integrated trade and logistics facilitator, actively enabling investment opportunities and addressing sector-specific challenges. This expanded role, he stressed, strengthens the port's position as a regional economic catalyst while creating new value streams.
Muscat Daily
13-08-2025
- Muscat Daily
Casio desktop calculators turn 60
Muscat – Casio, the Japanese electronics brand known for its pioneering desktop calculators, marked 60 years since the launch of its first model with a celebration hosted by Al Nahar Group at Grand Millennium Muscat Hotel on Tuesday. Introduced in 1965, Casio's first desktop calculator became a fixture in businesses worldwide. Six decades on, it remains a trusted tool for offices, classrooms, and homes. The event brought together more than 200 retailers, partners, clients, and corporate representatives. Shimada Koji, General Manager of Casio's Education Business Division, said the celebration was as much about partnerships as it was about the product's history. 'Oman has been a valued partner in this journey, and we look forward to shaping the future together. Since 1965, Casio has been at the forefront of innovation, blending advanced technology with sleek design. Our desktop calculators have transformed offices, classrooms, and businesses around the world,' he said. Koji acknowledged the challenges calculators face in the smartphone era but emphasised their reliability and capability for complex tasks. 'They remain more professional and dependable for large calculations. In January next year, we will launch new models that are more stylish, colourful, and faster in performance,' he added. The anniversary served as a networking platform for industry stakeholders, underlining Casio's continued commitment to quality, reliability and innovation.
