S53: Innovative Use of Waste Gases to Make Sustainable Fuels and Chemicals

Global energy demand will double over the next 40-50 years.  In addition, the IEA estimates that we need to introduce over 30% zero carbon fuels into the global energy pool to stabilize atmospheric CO2 levels.  As large a challenge as these numbers represent, LanzaTech does not believe that these numbers take into account the most important energy issue facing us today –global energy equilibrium.  How do we ensure that all people across all global economies have equal access to clean energy while energy demand grows at such a rapid pace? 

LanzaTech has developed technology can be applied to a range of gas (e.g. biomass syngas, reformed natural gas) resources for the production of a spectrum of valuable fuels and chemicals.  The company has developed a robust synthetic biology platform to enable a variety of novel molecules to be synthesised via microbial gas fermentation.  The LanzaTech process thus represents strongly a feedstock agnostic approach for the production of low carbon fuels and chemicals. Michael Koepke will discuss how new technologies can contribute effectively in meeting global energy challenges, through LanzaTech’s successful process scale up in China as a case study.