Uniper submits environmental permit application for e-methanol project in Sweden

German energy company Uniper on Monday (9 November) said it has submitted an environmental permit application for its planned NorthStarH2 e-methanol project in Östersund, Sweden.

The application was submitted to the Land and Environment Court in Östersund on 6 November, seeking approval to construct and operate a facility with a production capacity of up to 130,000 tonnes of e-methanol annually. Uniper expects the plant to produce around 115,000 metric tonnes (mt) per year.

NorthStarH2 will use renewable electricity and biogenic carbon dioxide to produce e-methanol, a synthetic fuel that can be used in shipping and aviation, as well as a feedstock in the chemical industry.

The project could also enable the reuse of around 160,000 mt of biogenic carbon dioxide annually. 

The application is being reviewed by the Land and Environment Court. Uniper is targeting a final investment decision in 2028, with commissioning currently planned to begin in 2031.

“Shipping, aviation and industry need scalable alternatives to fossil fuels. With the environmental permit application, we are taking another important step towards developing such an alternative at industrial scale,” said Johan Svenningsson, CEO of Uniper Sweden.

Broghan Helgeson, Project Manager for NorthStarH2 said Östersund offers favorable conditions for renewable fuel production, with access to locally generated electricity and biogenic carbon dioxide from Jämtkraft.

Photo credit: Uniper
Published: 12 November, 2026