Malmö, Sweden – Project Air, a joint project between Sweden-based specialty chemical firm Perstorp, and Germany-based energy supplier Uniper, has been awarded €97m from the Innovation Fund of CINEA, the European Union’s climate, infrastructure and environment executive.
As previously reported in Urethanes Technology International, Project Air announced it had applied for the €97m award in July 2022. It is one of 17 projects awarded a total of €1.8bn by the Innovation Fund. The grant agreement process was finally completed on 19 January, 2023, a little behind the previously reported Q4 2022 date.
The project, based at Perstorp’s existing facility in Stenungsund, Sweden – part of the Halbår Kemi 2030 regional chemistry industry cluster – uses a combination of a carbon capture and utilisation process, renewable hydrogen, and biomethane, for “first-of-a-kind” large-scale production of sustainable methanol. The project’s participants state that the project will lead to a decrease in greenhouse gas emissions of 123% compared with conventional methanol synthesis, and will decrease Europe’s dependence on imported fossil fuels.
“I am confident that projects like Project Air will significantly contribute to our objective of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and diminishing the EU’s dependency on imported fossil fuels,” said Paloma Aba Garrote, acting director at CINEA.
“Today marks an important milestone, not just for Project Air but for the chemical industry, as we are now demonstrating that it is possible to break our industry’s dependence on fossil fuels. We hope that more will follow our lead with similar technologies, enabling circular production processes that utilize residue streams and captured carbon,” said Jan Secher, the outgoing CEO of Perstorp Group.
“Europe is experiencing an unprecedented energy squeeze, where the focus is on securing energy supplies almost on a daily basis. Recognizing that we have a common future will be pivotal to tackling the climate challenge. We need to substitute fossil resources with sustainable alternatives to achieve climate neutrality, and from that perspective Project Air is a game-changer for the transition of the chemical industry,” said David Bryson, chief operating officer, Uniper.
