Oslo-headquartered classification society DNV is hosting the first open tender process to offer long-term access to renewable e-methanol as a means of supporting the decarbonization of industry, transport and chemical sectors.
As disclosed, the tender is in line with the European Union’s (EU) Renewable Energy Directive III (RED III)—which represents a set of guidelines that target enhancing renewable energy use and slashing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030—as well as with the EU’s Fit for 55 vision.
Registrations for the tender are open until the end of October 2025, as DNV has noted.
Representatives from the Norwegian organization have explained that the process is envisioned to offer a “transparent and structured” platform where all interested parties can partake “on equal terms.” As informed, the process will provide an opportunity for qualified offtakers to clinch long-term supply deals, spanning 10 to 15 years, under ‘competitive’ conditions.
Per DNV, the tender is open to all companies interested in securing an e-methanol supply, such as maritime operators and bunker suppliers, industrial users, traders and distributors of renewable chemicals, and organizations pursuing net-zero strategies.
The scope of the product reportedly encompasses a total volume of e-methanol offered of up to 450,000 tonnes per year, with the start of the supply commencing in the second half of 2028. What is more, the product scope is set to feature a very low carbon intensity (CI) score that could ensure compliance with sustainability standards and alignment with net zero strategies, DNV has said.
E-methanol (or electric methanol) is a synthetic fuel produced by combining renewable hydrogen (from electrolysis powered by wind, solar or hydropower) with captured carbon dioxide (CO2). Unlike fossil methanol, e-methanol is a renewable fuel of non-biological origin (RFNBO) that can be nearly carbon-neutral, which is why it presently stands out as one of the most technically mature synthetic energy sources available for marine use.
This year has seen a number of developments within the e-methanol sector. For example, in mid-March, Danish renewables developer European Energy commissioned the first reactor and produced the first e-methanol at its Kassø Power-to-X facility, which is hailed as ‘the world’s largest’ commercial facility for the manufacturing of this clean fuel.
The Kassø Power-to-X site, which is co-run by European Energy and Mitsui & Co., was formally inaugurated in May, with the maritime player having announced that e-methanol was already being delivered to offtakers, among whom was Copenhagen-based shipping and logistics titan A.P. Møller-Maersk.
