METHCESFUEL Kicks Off in Seville

On 5 and 6 February 2026, the METHCESFUEL consortium gathered at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería (ETSI) of the Universidad de Sevilla for the project’s official kick-off meeting. More than 40 participants from all 10 partner organisations took part, both on site and online, marking the formal start of this four-year Horizon Europe project.

The two-day programme covered the full breadth of the project. Coordinator Prof. Ricardo Chacartegui (USE) opened with a presentation of the overall vision and timeline, followed by detailed sessions on each of the nine work packages. Topics ranged from system design and methanol synthesis to Digital Twin development, pilot-scale demonstration, and sustainability assessment.

On the second day, the consortium discussed the pathway to market (WP8, led by HELLENiQ Petroleum), the communication and stakeholder engagement strategy (WP9, led by ACH), and a series of cross-cutting organisational topics including data management, intellectual property, and the creation of an Industry Advisory Board.

Four in-person consortium assemblies were scheduled: Seville in 2026, Germany in 2027, Spain in 2028, and Thessaloniki in 2029 (at the pilot plant site). Johnson Matthey was confirmed as the first member of the Industry Advisory Board, and bi-monthly online progress meetings were agreed for all partners.

The launch of the project website and social media channels is planned for the coming weeks.