Forestal selects Topsoe’s breakthrough SOEC technology for e-methanol production

• Topsoe has been chosen to deliver advanced Solid Oxide Electrolyzer Cell (SOEC) technology, consuming 55MW green power to produce hydrogen for Forestal del Atlántico’s Triskelion e-methanol project in Galicia, Spain.
• Triskelion will be the first project to deploy Topsoe’s SOEC for e-methanol production. The produced e-methanol will be used in the production of chemicals, like e.g. glue and resins.
• Final investment decision (FID) for the Triskelion project remains on course for Q2 2026, with commencement of operations planned for 2028.
• Topsoe’s end-to-end technology platform, combining high-efficiency SOEC electrolysis with its e-methanol synthesis loop was a key factor in enhancing the project’s financial viability.

Topsoe, a leading global provider of advanced technology and solutions for the energy transition, has signed an offtake agreement to provide its state-of-the-art SOEC technology for Forestal’s Triskelion e-methanol plant in Galicia, Spain. The SOEC’s will be delivered from Topsoe’s manufacturing facility in Herning, Denmark, which is nearing the final stage of readiness for industrial-scale production.

The agreement, which includes a 10-year service warranty program, builds on Topsoe’s existing agreement with Forestal, announced in December 2024, to provide its e-methanol synthesis technology, catalysts and engineering for highly efficient e-methanol production.

By providing a single, integrated hydrogen-to-methanol pathway, the solution minimizes interface risk, improves overall efficiency by up to 30 % compared to conventional electrolysis systems and removes the need for intermediate hydrogen storage. This ensures stable operations even during renewable power fluctuations, a crucial requirement for Forestal when assessing project risks.

Sundus Cordelia Ramli, CCO Power-to-X, at Topsoe, said:​
“We are thrilled to announce this next step in our collaboration with Forestal and to secure an additional order for our SOEC electrolyzers. Our integrated SOEC and e-methanol technology will enable Forestal to decarbonize its chemical production value chain. This project further demonstrates how combining electrolysis and synthesis technologies in a bankable, end-to-end solution can help decarbonize energy-intensive industries. We’re proud to be providing an advanced, deeply integrated solution to one of Europe’s trailblazing e-methanol plants.”

Andrés Fuentes, General Manager at Forestal, said:
“The strategic alliance with Topsoe and the incorporation of their SOEC technology places the Triskelion project in a leading competitive position within the e-methanol sector. This collaboration allows us to optimize operational efficiency, strengthening our ability to compete in the international renewable fuels market. At Forestal del Atlántico, we are committed to innovative solutions that set us apart and enable us to advance towards a more sustainable and resilient industry. Thanks to this technology, the project not only meets the highest environmental standards but also becomes a benchmark of competitiveness for Galicia and all of Europe.”

About the Triskelion project
 The Triskelion project is among Europe’s most advanced e-methanol projects. Owned by the Spanish shipping and chemicals company Forestal, it was a recipient of a EUR 49m grant from the European Innovation Fund in 2023. The plant has a design capacity of 156 metric tons per day (MTPD) of e-methanol.

The e-methanol produced is intended for applications in the shipping industry and in the chemicals industry for formaldehyde, glue and more. An example is Forestal’s productions of glue for MDF boards, which from 2028 can be made from e-methanol instead of grey methanol.

Facts

• Location: Mugardos, Galicia, Spain.
• Output: The plant is designed to produce 57,000 tons of e-methanol and will capture and use c. 78,000 tons of CO2 each year to produce the e-methanol.
• Power input: To be supplied from renewable sources through Power Purchased Agreements (PPAs), ensuring renewable and continuous power supply during operation.
• The plant received a EUR 49m grant from the European Union Emissions Trading System’s Innovation Fund in 2023.
• Anticipated FID: Q2 2026
• Anticipated entry into operation: 2028.

About SOEC
Topsoe’s solid oxide electrolyzer cells (SOEC) electrolysis technology is a modular design that operates at significantly higher temperatures compared to other electrolyzer technologies – a tested and proven process that enables industrial-scale production of green hydrogen using renewable electricity.

Topsoe’s SOEC technology produces more hydrogen per total power input when compared to conventional electrolyzer technologies. It further allows for the lowest levelized hydrogen cost per megawatt volume.

The SOEC electrolyzers have proven their efficiency through a successful performance test at Topsoe’s SOEC demonstration plant in Frederikssund, Denmark. The test revealed high levels of stability under industrial conditions.

Read more about the test of SOEC’s here.

Read more on Topsoe SOEC here. 

About Forestal del Atlántico
Headquartered in Galicia, Spain, and established in 1987, Forestal del Atlántico provides sustainable glue and resin manufacturing, storage terminal, power generation, environmental activity, solid ports and chemical distribution services for the chemical and energy sectors.

About Topsoe
Topsoe is a leading global provider of advanced technology and solutions for the energy transition.

Built on decades of scientific research and innovation, we are working with customers and partners to drive energy resiliency and to achieve their sustainability goals.

We offer world-leading solutions for transforming renewable resources into fuels and chemicals, and we provide technologies needed to produce low-carbon and conventional fuels and chemicals as well as ensuring clean air.

We were founded in 1940 and are headquartered in Denmark, with over 2,800 employees serving customers all around the globe. To learn more, visit  www.topsoe.com. 

For more information, please contact: 
Ulrik Frøhlke, Media Relations Manager
Phone: +45 27 77 99 68
Mail: ulfr@topsoe.com