Uniper, Samsung, HYCAP Invest €44M in Liquid Wind’s Hydrogen-Based E-fuel Push

Wedoany.com Report-Nov 22, Green hydrogen-based e-fuel project developer Liquid Wind has raised €44m ($46m) in a Series C financing round led by Uniper, HYCAP and Samsung Ventures.

The Swedish firm says the capital will support the development of 10 e-fuel facilities by 2027 as it aims to meet the shipping industry’s growing demand for e-methanol.

Its plan is to develop scalable, standardised facilities to convert biogenic CO2 with green hydrogen into e-methanol, which it says generates 94% lower emissions compared to fossil fuels on a well-to-wake basis.

Liquid Wind founder and CEO, Claes Fredriksson, said the demand for low-carbon maritime fuels is “undeniable.”

“Our shareholders recognise this, and we are pleased to welcome Samsung Ventures as a new investor, alongside continued support from Uniper and HYCAP,” Fredriksson stressed. “The investment, the largest in our company history, reflects their confidence in Liquid Wind’s potential to scale e-fuel production in the years to come.”

Despite moving forward with the development of its first two projects, its inaugural 55,000-tonne plant in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden, which had been bought out by Ørsted when it reached final investment decision (FID) was shelved earlier this year.

Citing low offtake demand, high prices and insufficient incentives, Ørsted told H2 View the FID had been taken on the basis of a “challenged business case.”

Nonetheless, Liquid Wind has been working with Uniper on its second, larger e-methanol plant in Östersund – NorthStarH2.

Set to produce 100,000 tonnes per year, Uniper appointed the Swedish firm as project developer after the pair signed a strategic partnership agreement to reduce the costs and risks of e-fuel plants.

“Our ongoing partnership with Liquid Wind has proven to be very fruitful, and we look forward to achieving further milestones together and actively shaping the future of the energy industry,” said Jan Taschenberger, COO New Green Power and Gas at Uniper.

HYCAP CEO, James Munce, added that Liquid Wind’s standardised approach was “exactly what the maritime sector needs to meet its decarbonisation targets.”