Berlin’s C1 Lands First License Deal in India

Berlin-based C1 Green Chemicals is moving closer to commercializing its green methanol technology. According to two recent company press releases, the climate tech company has secured €13.3 million from the EU Innovation Fund and signed its first technology licensing agreement with Indian energy and environmental solutions provider Thermax.

The new partnership will see Thermax develop a green methanol plant in India using C1’s catalyst technology. The project combines C1’s expertise in methanol production with Thermax’s experience in process engineering and plant construction. The companies aim to create a pathway for large scale biomethanol production and support India’s efforts to reduce dependence on fossil fuel imports by using local agricultural waste streams.

The agreement marks an important milestone for C1 as it represents the company's first technology license sale. The Berlin company says growing global demand for locally produced biomethanol is creating significant opportunities for expansion.

Just weeks earlier, C1 announced that its METHANOL.ONE project had been selected for funding by the EU Innovation Fund, Europe’s largest climate technology funding program. The demonstration plant will be built at the Leuna Chemical Park and is scheduled to start production in 2029. Once operational, it is expected to produce 20 tonnes of green methanol per day and save around 318,000 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent during its first ten years of operation.

C1 says METHANOL.ONE will serve as a commercial showcase for its technology and support future licensing activities. The company already reports letters of intent for plants with a combined capacity of more than 3,000 tonnes of methanol per day, underlining growing market interest in green methanol for shipping, aviation, transport and the chemical industry.