Eco-friendly LanzaTech's green chemistry wins

Green chemistry has won clean energy technology firm LanzaTech another prestigious international award.

LanzaTech will collect the Frost & Sullivan 2011 Global Green Excellence Award for Technology Innovation in “green chemistry” at a banquet in Singapore in August. The award focuses the international spotlight on LanzaTech’s evolution of its proprietary fermentation technology to now also produce biochemical compounds.

Developed to produce low cost fuel ethanol from industrial waste gases and biomass, LanzaTech’s technology can now use carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide to produce compounds such as acetic acid and 2,3-Butanediol (2,3-BDO), key building blocks used to make polymers, plastics and hydrocarbon fuels, such as jet fuel.

The annual Green Excellence Awards recognise companies that demonstrate a commitment to reducing dependency on finite resources, from concept to commercialisation, and a resolve to reduce the impact of climate change and overall ecological footprint.

LanzaTech chief executive Dr Jennifer Holmgren says LanzaTech’s mission is to create green products that meet the triple bottom line – social, environmental and economic.

“LanzaTech’s process enables chemicals production to be decoupled from petroleum and valuable food stock,” Dr Holmgren says. “Conventional approaches for the production of polymers and plastics require chemical building blocks normally prepared from the cracking of petroleum or through fermentation of sugars.

“LanzaTech is now able to offer an integrated waste gas to fuels and chemicals technology that is both economically and environmentally sound. Our process can deliver considerable financial returns from the sale of high value products and also curb industrial greenhouse gas emissions.”

Frost & Sullivan says the recipients of the Green Excellence Awards offer unique and revolutionary solutions that make a positive environmental impact, while also presenting tremendous market potential.

“In addition, as the financial community turns its attention (and money) to conservation and long-term sustainability, companies that can prove their adherence to eco-friendly objectives are poised for increased investment, rising stock prices, and satisfied investors.”