ETFuels to use Johnson Matthey/John Cockerill tech for US$1 bn Texas e-methanol project

ETFuels has selected Belgium-based John Cockerill and Johnson Matthey as key strategic partners for its US$1 billion 120,000-tonne/year e-methanol project in Texas, US.

John Cockerill will provide 210MW of its advanced pressurised alkaline electrolyser units, along with technical services as the foundation for the Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) phase for the green hydrogen facility to be constructed in Texas. This project will benefit from John Cockerill’s local manufacturing and support capabilities, as the group has invested in a gigafactory in Texas to develop and produce its electrolysers in the US.

Johnson Matthey – a global leader in sustainable technologies – will supply its advanced eMERALD e-methanol technology, along with the eMERALD methanol synthesis catalyst, for ETFuels’ first US project. This technology also forms the basis of the FEED phase for the fully integrated e-methanol facility.

By 2029, ETFuels will produce 120,000 tonnes of e-methanol annually from co-located 500 MW high-capacity renewable energy resources, together with biogenic CO₂ at this plant. The plant will span an impressive 22,000 acres in Texas and will pave the way for development of ETFuels’ broader portfolio of sites across Texas, Spain and Finland – some of the best locations in the world to produce e-fuels.

The Financial Investment Decision for the first project is expected in 2026, with construction scheduled to start by or before 2027. The project is expected to create approximately 500 construction jobs, with more than 50 permanent operating roles upon completion.

ETFuels’ ultra-low carbon intensity e-methanol unlocks multiple pathways for industrial decarbonisation, including the production of e-SAF (sustainable aviation fuel) through methanol-to-jet technology, as well as numerous chemical applications. With FuelEU regulation incentivising early adoption of e-fuels, particularly for shipping, ETFuels’ e-methanol, with emissions as low as 8.7 gCO₂e/MJ, offers a compelling solution, offering a 91% reduction in CO2 relative to conventional fuel. This enables shipping companies to reduce compliance costs by half, trade credits, and deliver green transportation services to end customers.

E-methanol from the plant is expected to result in the avoidance of approximately 200,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year, equivalent to planting a forest the size of 13,000 football fields.