Forestal selects Topsoe’s breakthrough SOEC technology for eMethanol production

Forestal and Topsoe have signed an agreement on Topsoe's SOEC electrolyzer technology. Forestal is represented here by Alberto López Pampín, chief financial officer (far right), and Sundus Cordelia Ramli, chief commercial officer of Power-to-X at Topsoe, next to him. (Photo: Topsoe)

Topsoe, a leading global provider of advanced technology and solutions for the energy transition, announced Oct. 28 that it has signed an offtake agreement to provide its state-of-the-art solid oxide electrolyzer cell (SOEC) technology for Forestal’s Triskelion eMethanol plant in Galicia, Spain.

Triskelion will be the first project to deploy Topsoe’s SOEC for eMethanol production.

The SOECs will be delivered from Topsoe’s manufacturing facility in Herning, Denmark, which is nearing the final stage of readiness for industrial-scale production.

The agreement, which includes a 10-year service warranty program, builds on Topsoe’s existing agreement with Forestal, announced in December, to provide its eMethanol synthesis technology, catalysts and engineering for highly efficient eMethanol production.

By providing a single, integrated hydrogen-to-methanol pathway, the solution minimizes interface risk, improves overall efficiency by up to 30 percent compared to conventional electrolysis systems and removes the need for intermediate hydrogen storage.

This ensures stable operations even during renewable power fluctuations, a crucial requirement for Forestal when assessing project risks.

“We are thrilled to announce this next step in our collaboration with Forestal and to secure an additional order for our SOEC electrolyzers,” said Sundus Cordelia Ramli, Topsoe’s chief commercial officer for Power-to-X. “Our integrated SOEC and eMethanol technology will enable Forestal to decarbonize its chemical production value chain. This project further demonstrates how combining electrolysis and synthesis technologies in a bankable, end-to-end solution can help decarbonize energy-intensive industries. We’re proud to be providing an advanced, deeply integrated solution to one of Europe’s trailblazing eMethanol plants.”

Andrés Fuentes, the general manager at Forestal, added, “The strategic alliance with Topsoe and the incorporation of their SOEC technology places the Triskelion project in a leading competitive position within the eMethanol sector. This collaboration allows us to optimize operational efficiency, strengthening our ability to compete in the international renewable fuels market. At Forestal del Atlántico, we are committed to innovative solutions that set us apart and enable us to advance towards a more sustainable and resilient industry. Thanks to this technology, the project not only meets the highest environmental standards but also becomes a benchmark of competitiveness for Galicia and all of Europe.”

The Triskelion project is among Europe’s most advanced eMethanol projects.

Owned by the Spanish shipping and chemicals company Forestal, it was a recipient of a 49-million euro (USD$57 million) grant from the European Innovation Fund in 2023.

The plant has a design capacity of 156 metric tons per day of eMethanol.

The eMethanol produced is intended for applications in the shipping industry and in the chemicals industry for formaldehyde, glue and more.

An example is Forestal’s productions of glue for medium-density fiber (MDF) boards, which from 2028 can be made from eMethanol instead of grey methanol.

The plant, located in Mugardos, Galicia, Spain, is designed to produce 57,000 tons of eMethanol and will capture and use approximately 78,000 tons of CO2 each year to produce the eMethanol.

Topsoe’s SOECs will consume 55 megawatts of green power to produce hydrogen for the production of eMethanol.

The power input will be supplied from renewable sources through power-purchase agreements (PPAs), ensuring renewable and continuous power supply during operation.

Forestal is expected to reach final-investment decision by mid-2026 and operation of the facility in 2028.

Topsoe’s SOEC technology is a modular design that operates at significantly higher temperatures compared to other electrolyzer technologies—a tested and proven process that enables industrial-scale production of green hydrogen using renewable electricity.

Topsoe said its SOEC technology produces more hydrogen per total power input when compared to conventional electrolyzer technologies.

It further allows for the lowest levelized hydrogen cost per megawatt volume.

The SOEC electrolyzers have proven their efficiency through a successful performance test at Topsoe’s SOEC demonstration plant in Frederikssund, Denmark.

The test revealed high levels of stability under industrial conditions.