The NextFuel project addresses urgent industry demands from ship owners, energy producers, and fuel providers seeking viable green fuel solutions. By electrifying the Steam Methane Reforming (SMR) process, NextFuel aims to deliver standardized biomethanol production modules, advanced simulation tools, and real-world demonstrations of green methanol operations — paving the way for large-scale maritime decarbonization.
The NextFuel project was initiated in direct response to the growing demand across the maritime and energy sectors for sustainable, low-carbon fuels. With the global transition toward cleaner energy accelerating, key players in shipping, fuel production, and biogas operations have recognized the need for scalable solutions that support both environmental and economic goals.
Ship owners, including TOPEKA and Wilhelmsen, are leading this transformation by investing in vessels designed to operate on green methanol. Wilhelmsen currently operates around 200 ships, all running on conventional fuels, while TOPEKA is constructing two methanol-powered feeder container vessels. Both companies require a reliable supply of sustainable methanol to decarbonize their fleets and meet stringent emissions regulations.
At the same time, biogas operators such as Molgas Energy are seeking to increase energy production and enhance the value of their plants. NextFuel provides a pathway to achieve this by transforming biogas facilities into biomethanol production sites. By starting methanol synthesis with biogas or biomass instead of natural gas, and by integrating renewable hydrogen and captured CO₂, the process maximizes efficiency, promotes circular carbon use, and delivers a higher-value product.
Fuel providers, including Molgas Energy, a leading LNG supplier in Europe, are also adapting to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving market. As demand for renewable fuels grows, they must offer green, carbon-neutral options to their customers. NextFuel supports this shift through the development of electrified SMR (eSMR) — a technology that uses renewable electricity to drive methanol production, cutting emissions dramatically while remaining compatible with existing infrastructure.
By the end of the project, NextFuel will deliver several concrete results that demonstrate the feasibility and benefits of this new approach. A key achievement will be the development of a standardized, modular “copy-paste” plant solution by TOPSOE, allowing cost-effective deployment of biomethanol production units at biogas sites. In addition, simulation tools and digital frameworks will be created to help both operators and technology providers design optimized plant configurations and value chains tailored to different scales and locations.
Another major outcome will be the demonstration of a ship operating on green methanol, financed outside the project by TOPEKA and Wilhelmsen, serving as proof of concept for the viability of methanol as a maritime fuel. Together, these efforts will establish a clear roadmap toward large-scale decarbonization, positioning methanol as a flexible fuel, drop-in replacement, and e-chemical within the wider energy transition.
The pioneering eSMR technology, already advancing toward commercialization as eREACT, will form the foundation for future plants producing biomethanol, hydrogen, and other e-fuels. This first-of-its-kind demonstration will build trust in the technology, opening the way for wider adoption across Europe.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 101136225.
