Schneider Electric has delivered the technology stack behind European Energy’s Kassø Power-to-X (PtX) facility, the world’s first commercially viable e-methanol plant. Schneider Electric’s future-ready design supports enhanced productivity and cost efficiencies, while ensuring reliability, safety and sustainability – creating a scalable blueprint essential for accelerating green energy production.
Powered by renewable electricity from the adjacent 304 MW Kassø Solar Park, the largest in the Nordics, the facility captures biogenic CO2 from nearby sources to produce up to 42 000 tonnes of e-methanol annually. That’s enough to keep a modern commercial airliner flying nonstop for over 4200 hours, equivalent to 175 days in the air.
Today, low-carbon methanol alternatives represent only a fraction of global supply, yet IRENA forecasts demand for e- and bio-methanol could reach 500 million tons by 2050 as industries race to meet climate goals. Scaling commercially viable e-methanol is essential, especially for hard-to-electrify sectors like chemicals, aviation and shipping, in order to decarbonise operations and unlock a global clean fuel economy.
Schneider Electric technology underpins the Kassø plant’s commercial success, delivering a fully integrated automation, energy management and software solution that optimises every stage of production to boost performance, reliability and cost-efficiency. This makes e-methanol more competitive and commercially viable.
Technology backbone for operational excellence
European Energy’s technology stack features Schneider Electric’s advanced automation architecture including Modicon M580 PLCs, delivering high-performance automation with built-in cybersecurity and real-time data intelligence. Safety Integrity Level (SIL) certified safety modules and advanced diagnostics ensure safe, resilient operations, even in the harshest environments. Altivar Process low-voltage drives add intelligent motor control with integrated energy monitoring and process optimisation, reducing consumption and extending asset life. Trihal transformers provide fire-safe, low-maintenance performance with IoT-enabled thermal monitoring to prevent overheating and unplanned downtime.
All systems are unified through the AVEVA System Platform, offering real-time operational visibility and centralised control across sites. Its scalable architecture supports the development of a unified operations centre (UOC), enabling faster decisions, improved operator efficiency, remote operations and streamlined engineering. In addition, Schneider’s Cybersecurity by Design ensures secure, remote and hybrid operations-protecting infrastructure and maintaining compliance across European Energy’s global footprint.
“This project marks a pivotal moment in the journey toward industrial decarbonisation,” said Schneider Elecric executive vice president, Gwenaelle Avice Huet. “By embedding automation, energy management and software into a unified solution, we’re helping European Energy reduce downtime, emissions and operational costs, while enhancing performance, reliability and safety. Together, we’re creating a scalable, replicable model that can accelerate the global rollout of commercial e-methanol plants and drive the transition to a more sustainable energy future.”
The Kassø facility builds on Schneider Electric’s decade-long partnership with European Energy, which began with solar infrastructure and evolved into deep collaboration on PtX systems. The project was managed and delivered by Soft and Teknik, a long-standing Schneider Electric Alliance Partner. Soft and Teknik was responsible for the full implementation of Schneider Electric’s technologies at the Kassø site, from automation and energy management systems to power distribution equipment, and led the development of the integrated software package that unifies operations across the facility. “This isn’t just a milestone for European Energy, it’s a breakthrough for the global green fuels industry,” said Knud Erik Andersen, CEO of European Energy. “We have had a long cooperation with Schneider Electric. Their advanced technology has made it faster going from pilot to full-scale commercial production at our Kassø facility. This will advance clean fuel innovation and support the global energy transition.”
Confirmed offtakers include Maersk, Novo Nordisk and the LEGO Group, each adopting Kassø’s sustainable feedstock as a fossil fuel alternative. Locally, the facility supports district heating for 3300 homes and contributes to grid stability, reinforcing its role in both global and community-level sustainability.
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