Denmark’s AP Moller-Maersk is helping to develop a Berlin-based start-up that is claiming to have found a way to supply masses of cheap green methanol.

The partnership between C1 and Maersk Growth — the giant container line’s venture capital unit — aims to speed up mass production.

The size of the investment has not been revealed.

C1 said it has developed an ultra-efficient catalytic process to offer the low-carbon bunkers “without the usual premium paid for sustainably produced methanol”.

Maersk has been buying supplies of the fuel worldwide to power its next generation of container ships.

“We are proud to have partnered with the global pioneer in green shipping in an industry where many fear a first-mover disadvantage,” C1 co-founder Christian Vollmann said.

“The 19 methanol-enabled container ships they have ordered already are a strong advanced buying signal into the market. We look forward to joining forces with Maersk to make low climate impact shipping a reality.”

Vollmann set up the company with chemists Marek Checinski, Ralph Krahnert and Christoph Zehe.

C1 said its process starts with “quantum-chemical simulations”.

The company will produce fuel from waste biomass or CO2 and hydrogen.

Pilot stage

Its catalytic reactor features a containerised design in the pilot stage.

This means production will be possible where sustainable feedstocks are available, or close to harbours where green methanol is needed to fuel the vessels.

C1 claims its technique works at significantly lower pressure and temperature than current methods.

Maria Strandesen, head of future fuels innovation at Maersk, said: “With current technology, powering our vessels with green methanol will be much more expensive. We believe in C1’s ultra-efficient catalysis to bring down the price — and scale fast with their decentralised approach”.

Maersk Growth partner Peter Votkjaer Jorgensen said C1 is reinventing every production step.

Attention to detail

“Such a level of innovation and attention to detail is key to success, and we believe that their technology can play an important role in decarbonising hard-to-abate industries, including shipping,” he added.

Existing investors in C1 include Planet A Ventures, Square One Ventures and former Maersk chairman Jim Hagemann Snabe, now chairman of Siemens.

In December, Maersk signed a deal with Houston-based SunGas Renewables for its entire production of the low-carbon fuel from multiple facilities.

The spin-off of GTI Energy will have its first plant up and running in 2026, with a 390,000-tonne per year capacity.

This was Maersk’s ninth agreement for green methanol supplies.