HIF Global plans e-methanol plant in Morocco

Renewable fuel producer HIF Global (HIF) wants to build an e-methanol plant in Cabo Negro, Morocco.

PHOTO: HIF Global's e-fuel facility in Chile. MAN Energy Solutions

E-methanol, or synthetic methanol, is produced by combining 100% biogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) with green hydrogen. Biogenic CO2 is typically captured through either bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) or through direct air capture (DAC).

HIF’s Morocco facility will use wind power as a renewable energy source to power its green hydrogen electrolysis process. The plant will capture up to 215,000 mt/year of CO2 from biomass, industrial sources or DAC to produce around 175,000 mt/year of e-methanol.

“With Morocco's abundant renewable energy, we see great potential to develop an eFuels market - with synthetic methanol - in Morocco”, said Thorsten Herdan, chief executive of HIF arm HIF EMEA.

HIF currently operates an e-methanol plant in Chile, primarily serving the road sector. However, it has outlined plans for multiple e-methanol projects worldwide. E-methanol produced at its future facilities, including Morocco, can be used as fuel for shipping, HIF said.

It will begin construction of its e-methanol plant in Matagorda County in Texas, US this year. The plant is expected to produce 1.4 million mt/year of e-methanol by 2027 using 2 million mt/year of CO2 captured. Additionally, it plans to produce e-methanol from 900,000 mt/year of captured CO2 in Paysandú, Uruguay.

It is also exploring the feasibility of setting up e-methanol plants in Australia and New Zealand.

By Konica Bhatt

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