Erik Thun and Electrochaea in talks over e-methane offtake for green marine fuel

Germany-based provider of synthetic methane technology Electrochaea and Swedish shipping company Erik Thun have signed a letter of intent (LoI) to initiate negotiations on the offtake of e-methane for green maritime fuel.

The potential collaboration would see e-methane produced by Electrochaea’s subsidiary BioCAT Roslev Aps in Denmark used as maritime fuel in the vessels operated by Erik Thun.

Electrochaea is currently working on setting up a power-to-gas production in the Danish municipality of Skive. Renewable power from wind will be used to produce green hydrogen which will be mixed with the CO2 from biogas production at Rybjerg Biogas in a bioreactor to produce e-methane using Electrochaea’s patented bio-methanation technology.

The resulting e-methane will be fed into the Danish gas grid, benefiting the decarbonization of gas consumers throughout Europe.

Erik Thun plans to use e-methane to replace fossil-based LNG fuel, allowing the company to operate its existing LNG fleet without replacing its propulsion systems to accommodate other renewable fuels.

Johan Källsson, Managing Director of Erik Thun AB, said: “Walking the path to carbon neutrality poses enormous challenges. At Erik Thun AB, we are steadfast in our commitment to lead this transition by integrating renewable fuels into our operations. Currently, we are actively exploring different alternatives. For our vessels running on LNG, E-methane is emerging as a cleaner option.

“We are proud of this collaboration and that we are pioneering the replacement of fossil fuels with renewable e-methane, awaiting to be officially recognized by the government as a cleaner alternative. Our commitment extends to the construction, maintenance and operation of vessels with advanced designs and a minimal carbon footprint. To create sustainable options that can pass a proper life-cycle analysis, much cleaner e-fuels are needed.”

Doris Hafenbradl, Electrochaea’s CTO and Managing Director emphasized the benefits of using Electrochaea’s patented bio-methanation technology for providing low-carbon fuel for the maritime industry: “E-methane can play a vital role in decarbonizing the maritime industry and both Electrochaea and Biocat Roslev ApS are pleased to negotiate off-take of e-methane with one of the most sustainable and visionary shipping companies. The maritime industry is an important marketplace for the e-methane produced with our bio-methanation technology, which is further supported by the interest from Erik Thun AB.”