Commercial production at the Finnish plant could begin in 2028. Image Credit: Arctic Sisu

Finnish e-fuels firm Arctic Sisu has appointed engineering firm AFRY to carry out a feasibility study for a large-scale e-methane production facility in Kotka, Finland.

The project, planned in three phases, would produce up to 950 GWh of renewable e-methane annually by capturing CO2 emissions from the adjacent Kotkamills pulp mill, the firm said in a statement on its website last week.

If realised, the facility would become Europe‘s first to use CO2 from pulp production for e-fuel.

E-methane is made using renewable electricity: water is split into hydrogen using electrolysers, which is then combined with captured CO2 to produce the synthetic gas.

The resulting fuel can be used in existing LNG-fuelled ships, offering a lower-emission alternative to fossil LNG.

The study, set for completion by end-2025, will guide Arctic Sisu’s investment decision expected in 2026. If approved, phase one of the project could begin commercial operations in 2028, supplying e-methane to the shipping sector.

“We look forward to offering our insights into the entire power-to-x value chain for this project, which ultimately enables the transition to more sustainable maritime and other transportation,” Jukka Lehtonen, head of business unit at AFRY Finland, said.