Lanzanol: First Low-Carbon Fuel Project

The US Energy Department is going to fund the LanzaTech project for the demonstration of around 3 Million gallons per year of low-carbon jet diesels and fuels from industrial let off gases. A $4 Million has been provided to the LanzaTech for the project by the US Energy Departments Bioenergy Technologies Office.

LanzaTech will be using this fund to recycle the industrial waste gases let out by the steel manufacturing companies. The recycled product is an ethanol intermediate called “Lanzanol”. The companies Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and LanzaTech developed process “alcohol-to-jet”, which will be used for the conversion of Lanzanol and ethanol to jet diesel or fuel. The LanzaTech researchers along with ArcelorMittal are still trying to find out other ways and means to generate low-carbon feul and diesel from the industrial wastes. They are thus going to seek this best opportunity and develop a cost-effective and less hazardous product.

According to Jennifer Holmgren, the CEO of LanzaTech, for the jet operation, the fuel expenditure cost is very high and the pollution caused by carbon dioxide emission is also high. Thus, they are developing a low-carbon fuel and diesel which is economic and sustainable. So to outcome the effects caused by the fuels, the company has started the project.

The major project partners LanzaTech have include Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Petron Scientech, Nexceris, CRI Catalyst Company and Gardner Denver Nash, which will deal with the technical part whereas the engineering part will be dealt by Aemetis and Ambitech. The fuels’ effect on the environment is going to be evaluated by Michigan Technological University. Lastly, Audi is going to check the properties and effects of the fuel and diesel produced. The other project partners are Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative and Airlines for America.

Hence, Lanzanol is going to prove to be an effective and sustainable method for the jet fuel and diesel overusage, thus saving our renewable resources.