LanzaTech keeps gearing up and seeks the holy grail of CO2 conversion
By Peter Kerr for sticK
(sticK - 22 Feb. 2011 ) It's not difficult to be a fan of LanzaTech, the Kiwi company that uses proprietary bacteria to convert smoke stack waste gases into useful products such as ethanol.
Having got its technology up and running at the Glenbrook steel mill, LanzaTech's just signed its third deal with an Asian partner to develop and trial new plant.
This time it is with Posco, a Korean conglomerate that produced 33.7 million tonnes of crude steel last year. LanzaTech signed a last year with Baosteel, a leading Chinese producer, and earlier this year with Indian Oil, the subcontinent's largest petrol seller.
Each of these are JV's and a trial - not the least because each plant has slightly different output gases, and different requirements.
Word has it that these may be the last development and experimental type operations - you can't go on trialing forever.
For sticK – science, technology, innovation & commercialisation KNOWLEDGE - is a new Wellington based news service concentrating on following the money from ideas to income. Contact editor Peter Kerr at peter.kerr055 @ gmail.com