Lukera Energy

Lukera Energy

Lukera Energy

Lukera converts methane into carbon-negative methanol using the highest energy-efficiency process for low-cost, scalable clean fuel production.

Carrboro, NC, USA

United States

For-profit, including B-Corp or similar models

Lukera is addressing the urgent need for low-cost, low-carbon fuels in the maritime sector—one of the hardest-to-abate and fastest-growing sources of global emissions. Shipping accounts for nearly 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, largely from heavy fuel oil burned by over 100,000 commercial vessels. These emissions contribute to climate change and toxic air pollution around ports, disproportionately affecting low-income and coastal communities. At the same time, methane emissions, which are 80 times more potent than CO₂ over 20 years, continue to rise from oil, gas, and waste operations. Over 570 million tons of methane are emitted annually, with more than 80 million tons from the energy sector alone—much of it flared, vented, or leaked. Lukera’s solution directly addresses these converging problems by converting methane into carbon-negative methanol using a breakthrough, high-efficiency nanobubble process. Our clean fuel replaces bunker fuel in ships, helping reduce maritime emissions and air pollution in vulnerable port communities. By co-locating production at methane sources, we unlock value from waste while improving local health and global climate outcomes—benefiting millions living in coastal cities and billions dependent on global trade.

Lukera makes a clean fuel called methanol by capturing methane—often wasted or flared—and turning it into liquid fuel using a new technology that works at room temperature. Our system uses a special process called nanobubble electrocatalysis, where electricity and tiny gas bubbles help convert methane into methanol more efficiently than any method available today. Unlike traditional processes that need high heat or hydrogen, Lukera’s approach is modular, low-cost, and easy to deploy near methane sources like oilfields, landfills, or ports. The result is a carbon-negative fuel that can replace dirty marine fuels in ships, reducing pollution and emissions. Our innovation has a provisional patent filed and is being developed into a demonstration-scale unit to prove its performance in real-world conditions. We’re creating a fuel that’s better for the planet, healthier for communities, and cheaper to produce than any other green methanol available today.

Lukera directly serves two key groups: maritime shipping operators and port-adjacent communities. Shipping companies are under increasing regulatory and financial pressure to reduce emissions but lack scalable, affordable alternatives to heavy fuel oil. Lukera provides them with a low-cost, drop-in methanol fuel that helps them meet climate targets without major infrastructure overhauls, improving their bottom line while enabling cleaner operations. Our solution also serves coastal and port communities, which are often low-income and disproportionately affected by air pollution from marine traffic. Due to emissions from ships burning dirty fuels, these communities suffer higher rates of asthma, heart disease, and respiratory illness. By replacing heavy fuel oil with carbon-negative methanol, Lukera significantly reduces harmful pollutants like sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter. Additionally, by sourcing methane from waste streams like landfills and oilfields, Lukera creates value from emissions that would otherwise harm the environment—providing a circular, locally deployable solution that benefits both industry and public health. Our scalable model enables cleaner air, job creation, and sustainable fuel access for communities and sectors often left behind in the energy transition.