LanzaTech Global, Inc. announced plans to build a commercial-scale Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) facility. The plant will be located at Herøya Industrial Park in Porsgrunn, Norway. It will produce ethanol and is expected to begin operations in 2028.
Collaboration with Eramet
Eramet will supply furnace gas from its Porsgrunn Manganese Alloys smelter to the facility. However, Eramet will not finance the project. Both companies aim to enhance emissions reductions by integrating Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology in a second phase, pending feasibility studies.
Innovative Carbon Management Solutions
The integrated facility will combine LanzaTech’s CCU technology with CCS. This combination is expected to deliver significant carbon abatement metrics. The new plant at Herøya will complement LanzaTech’s six existing commercial plants that utilize similar carbon recycling technology.
Engineering and Design Support
LanzaTech has completed the Front-end Engineering Design (FEED) phase in partnership with Fluor Corporation. Fluor brings extensive expertise in project scope, ensuring a baseline plant design that can be replicated globally. The project also receives support from Sweco Group for sustainability expertise.
Financing and Production Capacity
Brookfield Asset Management will have the right of first refusal for financing and ownership. A Final Investment Decision (FID) is expected within the next six months. The facility will produce up to 24 kilotons of fuel-grade ethanol annually.
Expanding Market Demand
LanzaTech’s ethanol will serve various markets, including sustainable aviation fuel and chemicals. The company plans to market the produced ethanol through existing and new sales channels.
Contribution to Decarbonization Goals
Eramet’s Porsgrunn smelter has two closed furnaces that produce manganese alloys. Manganese smelting is considered hard to abate, as carbon is essential for reducing manganese ore. Eramet aims to reduce its scope 1 and 2 emissions by 40% by 2035.
Community Impact and Job Creation
The collaboration will create new jobs in the Grenland industrial region and enhance the local community’s reputation for innovation. Dr. Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of LanzaTech, emphasized the importance of responsibly managing carbon resources.
Future Prospects
As per the press release, Geoff Streeton, Chief Development Officer at Eramet, expressed enthusiasm for this pioneering decarbonization project. He noted that the combined CCU and CCS projects could reduce Eramet’s CO2 emissions by approximately 200 kilotons. This initiative supports Eramet’s goal of producing zero CO2 manganese alloys, advancing the decarbonization of the steel value chain.
