LanzaTech aspires to “take waste carbon emissions and convert them” into sustainable fuels (and bio-plastics) with a >70% CO2 reduction.
It has produced small volumes in China since 2017, partnered with Shell and BA, and is now progressing larger projects: a €150M exhaust-gas capture for AccelorMittal’s Ghent steel plant, and a 10MGal/year aviation fuel facility in Georgia.
We have assessed its patents but concluded we cannot yet de-risk the CO2-to-fuels pathway in our energy transition models. This short note outlines how we believe its technology works, and what hurdles could helpfully be cleared.