US-based bioenergy company WasteFuel and Turkish waste management firm ITC plan to develop a green methanol biorefinery in Ankara, Turkey.
The facility, expected to be the first of its kind in Anatolia, is described by the partners as one of the largest planned globally. While production capacity details have not been disclosed, comparable projects, such as Maersk’s green methanol partnerships with European and Asian producers, have targeted production scales in the tens of thousands of tonnes per year.
By comparison, European Energy’s e-methanol plant in Denmark, currently under development, aims for an annual capacity of 32,000 tonnes, while China’s Ningbo Zhongjin Petrochemical’s green methanol facility is projected to reach 110,000 tonnes annually.
The project aims to produce green methanol as a low-carbon marine fuel to support shipping decarbonisation. A final investment decision is expected in early 2026.
The facility will use biogas derived from anaerobic digestion and landfill gas collection. ITC’s Ankara site processes more than 1.8 million tonnes of municipal waste annually.
“ITC [is] passionate about identifying innovative applications for municipal waste treatment that have a positive impact on the communities we serve,” said Yavuz Kantur, General Manager of ITC.
According to the Methanol Institute, green methanol can reduce CO2 emissions by 60% to 95%, cut nitrogen oxides by 60% to 80%, and almost eliminate sulphur oxides and particulate matter compared to fossil fuels. While green methanol is seen as a leading low-carbon fuel for shipping, scaling production remains a challenge due to feedstock availability and cost.
More than 300 methanol-capable container ships are scheduled for delivery by 2030, but widespread adoption will require expansion of methanol bunkering infrastructure.
“Green methanol will be crucial for near-term decarbonisation of the shipping industry,” said David Trench, CEO of WasteFuel.
