idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
The POSEIDON project, dedicated to demonstrating the use of synthetic methanol (e-methanol) as a sustainable fuel for shipping, is halfway through its term. Significant progress was made particularly with regard to the characterization of the “e-methanol for marine fuel” value chain and modeling tool development, preparations for technical, economic, environmental, and social impact assessments and the completion of engineering studies and construction of the ICODOS prototype plant. All these results will pave the way for replication, assessment of scenarios and roadmap development, as well as demonstration and testing which will be the main activities of the second half of the project.
The POSEIDON project, dedicated to demonstrating the use of synthetic methanol (e-methanol) as a sustainable fuel for shipping, is halfway through its term. Significant progress was made during the second year of the project, particularly with regard to the characterization of the “e-methanol for marine fuel” value chain and modeling tool development, preparations for technical, economic, environmental, and social impact assessments and the completion of engineering studies and construction of the ICODOS prototype plant. All these results will pave the way for replication, assessment of scenarios and roadmap development, as well as demonstration and testing which will be the main activities of the second half of the project. Steinbeis Europa Zentrum supports project management, and is responsible for the communication, dissemination, and exploitation of project results.
Value chain characterisation and modelling tool development
The value chain is the cornerstone of the POSEIDON project and entails all key components and stakeholders involved in the production, distribution and use of synthetic methanol (e-methanol) as a sustainable fuel for maritime transport. It is crucial that all partners have the same understanding of the value chain to ensure alignment of all project tasks. In April 2024, nine months after the project began and after gathering feedback from members of the communities of practice (COP), the POSEIDON value chain was laid out so that the next project tasks could get started. The value chain characterization activity was continued by partner CERTH who drafted a detailed report submitted in February 2025, containing technical descriptions of technologies involved in the implementation of the e-methanol value chain. Another important milestone was reached at the end of summer 2025, when the project coordinator, EIFER, provided the models and data needed for value chain modelling, the result of a collaborative effort involving all project partners.
All these advances have enabled EIFER to develop TRIDENT, which is a modelling tool that assists in the technical, economic and environmental assessment of the “synthetic methanol as marine fuel” value chain. With this tool, users can build the value chain from either end, starting with CO₂ sources as emitters or ships as end consumers of e-methanol, and then automatically generate the missing elements.
In February 2025, an initial mock-up of the interface, previewing the tool's main features, was shared with partners, and in September 2025, the first version of the tool was distributed internally to project partners. Over the coming months, the tool will be tested by various user groups both inside and outside the project to be perfected before being made freely available to all interested users in open access in March 2026. Ultimately, this tool should enable stakeholders to familiarize themselves with the subject of alternative fuels, in particular e-methanol for maritime applications, and to design and run their own scenarios, thus fostering replication.
TEA and LCA studies – preparatory steps and first results
A detailed analysis of the impacts of the chain's implementation will be performed by CERTH and RINA through techno-economic analysis & life cycle costing (TEA/LCC) and life cycle assessment & social life cycle assessment (LCA/S-LCA). During the first project year, they established the foundation for these evaluations by developing a robust methodology. This step included the identification of system elements and boundaries, the creation of energy and mass models, the assessment of data requirements, and the definition of key performance indicators. In parallel with this work, AUTH worked on defining scenarios for the two case studies, Valencia and Thessaloniki, which will serve as input data for TEA/LCC and LCA/S-LCA. Initial drafts of the scenarios were presented to the project partners in October 2024, and the final versions were released in February 2025 after feedback was received from members of the COP in Valencia and Thessaloniki.
Following this milestone, partners CERTH and RINA have further developed their assessment tools to make them compatible with the scenarios under investigation. In September 2025, CERTH presented preliminary results of the TEA for the first scenario of the Thessaloniki case study. In the coming months, CERTH and RINA will conduct in-depth assessments, with preliminary results expected by the end of 2025. The results of these analyses will be crucial for developing roadmaps and recommendations for the best course of action for implementing new e-methanol value chains for shipping in Valencia and Thessaloniki.
Final stages of engineering work on the ICODOS prototype plant and construction
The main focus of POSEIDON is the demonstration of an innovative e-methanol process, which involves designing, building, and testing an advanced pilot plant converting carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrogen (H2), and renewable power into synthetic methanol. This cutting-edge prototype set to produce 500 litres of renewable e-methanol per day is currently designed and built by ICODOS with the support of partner Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). One of its main advantages is that it combines several technologies into one (CO2 capture and e-methanol synthesis), which significantly reduces investment and operating costs by minimizing energy and equipment requirements. After completing the basic engineering study in March 2024, ICODOS continued the detailed engineering work by identifying suppliers for each main equipment and designing a 3D model of the plant, detailing the relative positions of the equipment and the modules that will house them. The engineering task was successfully concluded in the summer of 2025 with the completion of the final task dedicated to process control and automation. The digital twin developed by KIT has proven to be very useful in refining automation logic and ensuring optimized plant operation. Alongside these design studies, ICODOS has also made significant progress on the construction of its prototype. After adopting its construction strategy at the end of the first year of the project, purchasing activities began and all orders for major equipment were placed. In the first quarter of 2026, ICODOS will receive the final equipment and modules that will enable it to complete the last stages of pre-fabrication including electrical, instrumentation, and piping work at its workshop in Germany.
The POSEIDON project in short
The project, coordinated by European Institute for Energy Research (EIFER), started in September 2023 and will run until August 2027. It consists of 19 partners from 7 European countries: EIFER, EDF, KIT, RINA, Fundación Valenciaport, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, ICODOS, Fincantieri, Isotta Fraschini Motori - IFM (Fincantieri Group), Winterthur Gas & Diesel - WinGD, Steinbeis Europa Zentrum/Steinbeis Innovation gGmbH, Global Omnium, Port of Thessaloniki – ThPA S.A., CERTH, CNR-STEMS, Swedish Maritime Administration, CAO Hellas Natural Chemicals, CAO Hellas Macedonia, and AVEBIOM.
POSEIDON is receiving funding from the European Union’s research and innovation programme under grant agreement 101117616. The European Commission is co-funding the project with nearly € 9,7 million. Activities of Swiss project partner WinGD are co-funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI).
Contact
Dr. Julian Dailly, EIFER, POSEIDON coordinator
Michelle Chin, Steinbeis Europa Zentrum/Steinbeis Innovation gGmbH, POSEIDON communication and dissemination leader
Dr. Julian Dailly, EIFER, POSEIDON coordinator
https://project-poseidon.eu/ -Website
https://www.linkedin.com/in/poseidon-project/ - LinkedIn channel
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