Patented technology for integrated CO₂ capture and e-methanol production for shipping and the chemical industry.
ICODOS GmbH
Mannheim (headquarters) · Karlsruhe (R&D, KIT) · Valencia (regional office)New on Amplifa
About ICODOS
ICODOS GmbH is a deep-tech company founded in 2019 and headquartered in Mannheim that develops and commercializes a patented hybrid process for e-methanol production. The process integrates point-source CO₂ capture from flue gas or biogas and methanol synthesis in a single, dynamically operated, modular plant. The capture agent is a MeOH-water solvent (physical absorption without amines or membranes); desorption is driven by green hydrogen in counterflow. Green hydrogen produced via electrolysis reacts with the captured CO₂ at the catalyst to form methanol, which is purified by distillation to IMPCA-AA quality and delivered as certified RFNBO to shipping and the chemical industry. ICODOS offers e-methanol supply (offtake), gas purification and biogas upgrading, technology licensing, and EPC services up to turnkey plants. In addition to the Mannheim 001 pilot plant and the POSEIDON demonstration plant, the company, with around 25 employees, is developing the commercial plant designs Plant S (approx. 3,500 t/year) and Plant M (approx. 35,000 t/year) with project sites in Seville, Mannheim, Sweden, Spain, India, Chile, and Uruguay.
- Site
- Mannheim
- Processes
- CO₂ capture (physical absorption with MeOH-water solvent, patented hybrid process), CO₂ desorption (H₂ strip gas in counterflow), Methanol synthesis (CO₂ + H₂ at the catalyst), Distillation (methanol-water separation, IMPCA AA quality), Electrolysis (green hydrogen), Biogas upgrading (biogas upgrading to grid-quality biomethane), EPC & Technology Licensing (Engineering, Procurement, Construction, turnkey plants, concept studies), E-methanol production Plant S (≈3,500 t/year, 3,000–5,000 t/year CO₂, 15 MWe)
- Materials
- E-methanol (certified RFNBO, IMPCA AA quality), CO₂ (biogenic/industrial), Green hydrogen, Biomethane, MeOH-water solvent (crude methanol 50/50 mol-%), E-methanol (certified, IMPCA AA quality), CO₂ (biogenic/industrial, point source)
- Certificates
- IMPCA AA product specification
- Founded
- 2019
- Employees
- ~25
- Industries
- Shipping (Marine Fuel), Chemical Industry, Sustainable Aviation Fuel (Methanol-to-Jet), Energy and Wastewater Treatment Plants, Biogas, Energy/Wastewater Treatment Plants
- 01
CO₂ point source (flue gas or biogas)
- 02
Electrolysis — green hydrogen
- 03
CO₂ absorption (MeOH-water solvent)
- 04
CO₂ desorption (H₂ strip gas in counterflow)
- 05
Methanol synthesis (CO₂ + H₂ at the catalyst)
- 06
Distillation (methanol-water separation)
- 07
Certified RFNBO e-methanol (IMPCA AA)
Feedstocks & Processes
E-methanol (certified, IMPCA AA quality)
End product as a drop-in marine fuel, chemical feedstock, and for methanol-to-jet (SAF).
CO₂ (biogenic/industrial, point source)
Flue gas from biomass CHP, cement, steel, or waste incineration as well as biogas as feedstock.
Green hydrogen
Produced by electrolysis; drives the desorption and serves as the reaction partner of methanol synthesis.
Biomethane
From biogas upgrading to grid quality as a marketable by-product.
MeOH-water solvent (crude methanol 50/50 mol-%)
Patented physical absorption solvent without amines or membranes with continuous regeneration.
Locations & Plants
Mannheim
DEHeadquarters, Mannheim 001 pilot plant, Plant S FOAK project (FEED)
- Materials
- Biogenic CO₂ from sewage gas, e-methanol
- Mannheim 001 pilot plant (with KIT and EBS Mannheim, >5,000 h of operation)
- Plant S in FEED (≈3,500 t/year, 15 MWe, 2,000 m² minimum area)
Karlsruhe
DEResearch & Development (KIT)
Valencia
ESRegional office
Seville
ESPlant S FOAK project in FEED
- Materials
- Biogenic CO₂ from sewage gas
Plants & Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CO₂ capture (physical absorption with MeOH-water solvent, patented hybrid process)Surface | – | – | – | – | CO₂, flue gas, biogas |
| CO₂ desorption (H₂ strip gas in counterflow)Surface | – | – | – | – | CO₂, hydrogen |
| Methanol synthesis (CO₂ + H₂ at the catalyst)Casting | – | – | – | – | methanol, hydrogen, CO₂ |
| Distillation (methanol-water separation, IMPCA AA quality)Surface | – | – | – | – | methanol, water |
| Electrolysis (green hydrogen)Engineering | – | – | – | – | hydrogen, water |
| Biogas upgrading (biogas upgrading to grid-quality biomethane)Surface | – | – | – | – | biogas, biomethane |
| EPC & Technology Licensing (Engineering, Procurement, Construction, turnkey plants, concept studies)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| E-methanol production Plant S (≈3,500 t/year, 3,000–5,000 t/year CO₂, 15 MWe)Casting | – | – | ≈3,500 t/year e-methanol | – | e-methanol |
| E-methanol production Plant M (≈35,000 t/year, 30,000–50,000 t/year CO₂, 90 MWe)Casting | – | – | ≈35,000 t/year e-methanol | – | e-methanol |
4 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-methanol pilot plant (Mannheim 001) | ICODOS / KIT Mannheim 001 | 1 | – | – | Mannheim wastewater treatment plant, Germany |
| Demonstration plant (15x scale-up of the pilot plant, POSEIDON project) | ICODOS POSEIDON | 1 | – | 2024-2026 | – |
| Commercial small to medium-scale e-methanol plant (Plant S) | ICODOS Plant S | – | Minimum area requirement 2,000 m² | – | Seville (Spain) & Mannheim (Germany) in development |
| Commercial large-scale e-methanol plant (Plant M) | ICODOS Plant M | – | Minimum area requirement 10,000 m² | – | Project sites: Sweden, Spain, India, Chile, Uruguay |
Additional services
Quality & Certification
The process was validated over 5,000+ operating hours at the Mannheim 001 pilot plant on real industrial gases; the end product is certified RFNBO e-methanol in IMPCA-AA quality.
| Evidence | Mannheim |
|---|---|
| IMPCA AA product specification |
Development History
- 2019–2021
Laboratory demonstration — validation of the patented hybrid process through CO₂ capture and synthesis of real gases.
- 2021–2023
Commissioning of the Mannheim 001 pilot plant with KIT and EBS Mannheim — the world's first dynamically operated e-methanol plant using real industrial gases.
- 2024–2026
Commissioning of the POSEIDON demonstration plant — 15-fold scale-up, funded by a €10 million Horizon Europe grant.
- Ab 2026
Commercial scaling — Plant S FOAK projects in Seville and Mannheim in FEED, production start planned from 2028.