What we do

The LanzaTech Process

LanzaTech’s core technology allows carbon monoxide containing gases to be used for fuel production by fermentation. Carbon monoxide is a high-energy gas that is used by LanzaTech’s proprietary microbes as their only source of carbon and energy for growth and product synthesis.

LanzaTech has primarily focused on two resources for carbon monoxide-containing gases; Industrial waste gases and biomass syngas.

A World First

LanzaTech has successfully operated a pilot plant at New Zealand Steel at Glenbrook, near Auckland, for more than 2500 hours and continuously for more than 500 hours using steel mill waste gases as a feedstock for ethanol production.

 

The microbial fermentation of steel mill waste gases has never been attempted before because of the concerns that contaminants in the waste would inhibit conversion to ethanol. Continuous fermentation of raw steel mill gas has shown no impact on microbial viability, growth or productivity when compared to a synthetic gas equivalent virtually eliminating capital cost associated with gas conditioning.

 

The Glenbrook pilot plant is still operating and LanzaTech has developed the process engineering and documentation required for the operation and maintenance of such a facility at industrial sites.