Prometheus says it’s ready to commercially produce e-fuels from air, with 11 million mt already contracted for future delivery. Image Credit: Prometheus

Prometheus Fuels, a US-based startup backed by Maersk, says it has reached commercial readiness for its system that produces carbon-neutral e-fuels directly from atmospheric CO2 using off-grid renewable energy.

Its Titan Forge Alpha plant uses a 50-cell Faraday Reactor to convert CO2 captured from the atmosphere into synthetic fuel – a process powered entirely by off-grid renewable energy, it said in a statement on its website.

The system integrates direct air capture (DAC) with a hydrocarbon electrolyser that converts the CO2 into e-methanol. It is designed to run on variable power, making it suitable for remote areas with abundant solar or wind energy.

Prometheus bills itself as the first company to commercially produce e-fuels without relying on hydrogen, grid electricity or subsidies.

Its technology has reached TRL 9 – the highest level of system maturity – and marks a turning point for low-cost, scalable clean fuel production, the company said.

The firm says it has already pre-sold over 11 million mt of e-fuel for delivery over the next decade.

Maersk and BMW are among the investors in the firm. As Maersk’s dual-fuel methanol fleet expands, e-methanol from this technology could help power its current and future ships.