AFRY selected to lead engineering for Unipers NorthStarH2 e-methanol plant
A key project for fossil-free fuels
AFRY has been awarded by Uniper to deliver a FEED (Front-End Engineering Design) for NorthStarH2, a planned e-methanol production facility in Östersund, Sweden. The FEED work takes NorthStarH2 project from early project development towards a Final Investment Decision.
NorthStarH2 is one of Sweden's most promising Power-to-X/e-methanol projects. Once built, the facility is designed to produce around 115,000 tonnes of e-methanol per year. This fuel can help cut fossil emissions in hard-to-abate sectors such as transport and the chemical industry, where methanol is a valuable raw material.
The plant brings together two clean inputs. Green hydrogen is produced through electrolysis, powered by 175 MW renewable electricity. That hydrogen is then combined with biogenic CO₂ captured from Jämtkraft's biomass-fired heat and power plant in Lugnvik. The result is fossil-free e-methanol made from renewable power and recycled biogenic carbon.
What AFRY will deliver
AFRY's scope covers a complete technical FEED, including strategies, plans, and a cost estimate. The team's scope of work includes:
- Process design
- Plant engineering
- Operating philosophy
- Technical specifications
- HSE in Design
- Coordination with other stakeholders including OEM suppliers (providers of electrolysis, carbon capture, and methanol synthesis )
During this phase, AFRY and Uniper will mature the plant's technical design and prepare the project for a solid Investment Decision and a safe Execution phase
E-methanol will play an increasingly important role in decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors such as transport and chemicals. AFRY is honored to support Uniper in transforming this vision into a technically robust and investment-ready project.
says Guy Skantze at AFRY.
NorthStarH2 is an important project in Uniper’s energy transition portfolio, and we are pleased that the FEED contract with AFRY is now in place. We look forward to continuing our successful collaboration and completing the FEED phase together.
says Broghan Helgeson, NorthStarH2’s project manager at Uniper.
About the project
The assignment was kicked off late August, 2026, and is expected to run until Summer 2027. Uniper plans to make its Final Investment Decision for NorthStarH2 in 2028, with commissioning currently scheduled for 2031.
NorthStarH2 is driven by Uniper through Sydkraft Hydrogen AB, in cooperation with Jämtkraft. By turning renewable electricity and captured biogenic CO₂ into fossil-free methanol, the project supports the decarbonization of transport and the chemical industry, and strengthens Östersund's position as a strong location for producing electrofuels.
