German start-up produces climate-neutral marine fuel from wastewater

A German start-up has patented a novel process to produce climate-neutral methanol from wastewater as a marine fuel.

ICODOS on Monday opened a plant at the sewage treatment facility in the western city of Mannheim, in partnership with the Karlruhe Institute of Technology (KIT).

"This is the first plant in the world to use an integrated process to convert sewage gas from wastewater into e-methanol that can be used as a marine fuel," said Roland Dittmeyer from the KIT.

ICODOS co-founder Vidal Vazquez said the technology can "not only avoid emissions, but also create real added value from waste materials."

The plant will initially produce only 50 litres of methanol per day, far below the needs of modern container ships, but the start-up is already building a larger facility near Paris that is set to produce 15 times more fuel from late 2026.

The pilot plant - which was financed with help from the federal government - is worth €2 million ($2.2 million), Dittmeyer said.

The technology could help to reduce emissions in the shipping sector.

Figures from the European Environment Agency suggest shipping accounts for 3% to 4% of the EU's total emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2).