Liquid Wind was awarded Sweden’s prestigious E-Prize for 2023 in the Renewable Energy category. The company produces renewable methanol or “eMethanol” from forest materials and renewable electricity to decarbonize the shipping industry. The jury praised Liquid Wind’s business acumen and partnerships enabling large-scale production of sustainable electrofuel for ships. Other category winners were CheckWatt for smart grid flexibility, Cake for electric motorbikes, and Plagazi for making hydrogen gas from waste.
The E-Prize is Sweden’s most prestigious award for climate innovation, arranged for the past 15 years by energy company E.ON, sustainability magazine Aktuell Hållbarhet and business daily Dagens Industri.
Liquid Wind took home the prize for its work producing renewable methanol or “eMethanol” from forest materials and renewable electricity. The fuel can help decarbonize the hard-to-abate shipping industry.
CEO calls award “True recognition” of vision
Liquid Wind founder and CEO Claes Fredriksson accepted the award at a ceremony in Stockholm. He commented: “We are very proud and honored to receive Sweden’s most prestigious award for climate innovation. This is a true recognition for our team, our partners, our supporters and our vision towards creating a world without dependency on fossil fuels.”
The E-Prize jury highlighted Liquid Wind’s “successful partnerships and great business acumen.” They said the company has created conditions for large-scale production of sustainable electrofuel from Swedish forests, contributing to fossil-free shipping – “the world’s most important transport sector.”
eMethanol replaces fossil methanol
Liquid Wind facilities produce “green” methanol using renewable electricity to convert carbon dioxide from biomass power plants. The electrofuel can replace fossil-based methanol, which is widely used in industry and transport.
The renewable methanol meets environmental standards and provides industries and shipping with a pathway to phase out fossil fuel use.[2] It offers easy handling, storage and distribution compared to alternatives like battery electric propulsion.
Other E-prize winners in energy and transport
The E-Prize also recognized Swedish smart grid company CheckWatt for optimizing energy supply and demand, electric motorbike maker Cake for sustainable transport solutions, and waste-to-hydrogen startup Plagazi which took the People’s Choice prize.
