Green Revolution in Shipping Fuel: A Mannheim Startup Turns Sewage into Ship Fuel, but Demand Outpaces Supply
marine wastewater is repurposed into marine gasoline by a pioneering start-up based in Mannheim
Changing the CO2-heavy shipping industry is the mission of a Mannheim startup, Icodos. They're revolutionizing the game by producing climate-neutral methanol as a ship fuel from wastewater, thanks to a groundbreaking process backed by the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). The "Mannheim 001" production plant, situated at Mannheim's wastewater treatment plant, is now operational.
Known as the world's first plant converting clarified gas from wastewater into E-methanol using an integrated process, this venture has garnered praise from environmental organizations like Nabu, particularly for its innovative utilization of wastewater as a carbon source.
Roland Dittmeyer from KIT shared, "Our technology can not only eliminate emissions but also generate real value from waste materials." The startup serves as a proof-of-concept, demonstrating that the eco-friendly transformation of the shipping industry is already within reach.
Paris Plant: A Game Changer in Production Capacity
The current Mannheim plant churns out a modest 50 liters of methanol daily, acting more as a demonstration facility than a major production unit. However, a plant under construction near Paris is set to revolutionize the scene, foreseen to launch by the end of 2026. This plant will generate 15 times more methanol than its Mannheim counterpart, a significant leap in production capacity.
Volker Wissing, Federal Minister for Digital and Transport, emphasized the urgency for large-scale production, stating, "This is the ideal symbiosis between wastewater treatment plants and biogas producers."
A Closer Look at the Numbers
- Mannheim Facility: 50 liters/day
- Paris Facility: 750 liters/day
This increase in capacity represents a substantial scaling up of production capacity.
The European Environment Agency (EEA) and the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) estimate that European seaborne freight and container transport account for about three to four percent of the EU's total CO2 emissions [1].
- Start-ups
- Mannheim
- Shipping
- Fuel
- Refueling
- CO2 Emission
- NABU
[1] Source: ntv.de, als/dpa
- The Mannheim startup, Icodos, is creating a stir with their emission-eliminating and value-generating technology, converting wastewater into E-methanol for ship fuel, setting a new precedent for the shipping industry.
- The upcoming Paris plant, set to launch by the end of 2026, will significantly boost production capacity, generating 15 times more methanol than the current Mannheim facility, serving as a significant step forward in scaling up this innovative fuel production.
- With the current Mannheim facility producing 50 liters of methanol daily and the Paris facility expected to produce 750 liters daily, these startups in Mannheim and shipping fuel refueling are poised to make a notable impact on reducing CO2 emissions, as estimated by the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), who report that seaborne freight and container transport account for about three to four percent of the EU's total CO2 emissions.
