Methylennium Energy Adds Dolan to Board
The renewable methanol developer named former Methanol Institute CEO Gregory Dolan as an advisor as it moves forward with a Minnesota demonstration project.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Energy
Methylennium Energy has appointed Gregory Dolan, former CEO of the Methanol Institute, as a board advisor. The US-based developer is partnering with CapCO2 Solutions on green methanol projects across the US Midwest, starting with a demonstration facility in Luverne, Minnesota.
Why it matters
The Luverne project shows how captured waste CO2 from ethanol plants can be combined with renewable electricity to produce e-methanol, a fuel that may be relevant to Minnesota's agricultural and energy sectors. Dolan's appointment brings industry leadership experience to a company developing this technology.
The Luverne facility pairs 1.25 MW of power from two wind turbines with waste CO2 captured from an ethanol plant to produce 800 metric tons of green methanol annually. Final capacity and operating performance have not yet been demonstrated.
The players
Methylennium Energy
A US-based developer of renewable methanol technology that converts captured waste CO2 and intermittent renewable electricity into e-methanol.
Gregory Dolan
A former CEO of the Methanol Institute and principal of the methanol consultancy Pivot Methanol, now appointed as a board advisor to Methylennium Energy.
CapCO2 Solutions
The partner company working with Methylennium Energy to develop green methanol projects across the US Midwest.
The details
Methylennium's technology captures waste CO2 from ethanol plants and combines it with intermittent renewable electricity to produce e-methanol. The first demonstration project is being developed at the Agri-Energy Bio-Innovation Center ethanol plant in Luverne, with production expected to begin in 2028.
Timeline
Production at the Luverne, Minnesota facility is expected to begin in 2028.
The Tech Race
The project repurposes the waste CO2 stream from ethanol production, extending the value of existing biofuel infrastructure into a new fuel category. It positions renewable methanol as an alternative pathway alongside established biofuels in the Midwest.
For Minnesota residents, the project may eventually provide a new local market for ethanol plant byproducts and a potential fuel source tied to regional wind power. Commercial availability of the methanol is not expected until production begins in 2028.
The takeaway
Projects that turn ethanol plant waste into fuel depend on securing both renewable electricity and a buyer for the output. Watching whether the Luverne facility reaches its 2028 start date will show whether the model is commercially viable.
Further reading
For more on the energy sector across the state, see Energy coverage on Wisevoter.
