LanzaTech and Seksui to Develop Waste-to-Ethanol Plants in Japan

U.S. green technology company LanzaTech has signed an agreement with Sekisui Chemical to deploy a jointly developed platform at commercial scale to convert syngas generated from municipal solid waste (MSW) and industrial solid waste into ethanol. The two companies said Sekisui Chemical intends to build multiple facilities in cities across Japan, which will include equipment packages, engineering and consulting services, consumables and intellectual property provided by LanzaTech.

Sekisui expects its first commercial-scale plant to produce 10-12 kilotonnes of ethanol per year. The ethanol output will be synthetic alcohol that can be converted into ethylene and kerosene for use as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), as well as a wide range of material and chemical applications such as apparel, personal care and packaging.

By applying this jointly developed bio-based platform, Sekisui can transform unsorted waste into a cost-competitive alternative to fossil fuel feedstocks. The bioprocessing platform gasifies unsorted combustible waste accumulated in waste treatment facilities and converts this gas into ethanol using microbial catalysts and gas fermentation technology, which does not require any chemical catalysts, heat or pressure.

The agreement follows the completion of a pilot plant in Yorii, Japan in 2017, and a municipal waste-to-ethanol demonstration plant in Kuji, Japan in 2022, which will produce approximately 400 tons of ethanol per year.

Futoshi Kamiwaki, Representative Director and Senior Managing Executive Officer of Sekisui, said: “We are pleased to expand our collaboration with our long-term partner LanzaTech, whose waste-to-ethanol technology transforms municipal solid waste into a valuable resource and provides an innovative solution to end our reliance on fresh fossil fuels.”

Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of LanzaTech, said: “With this agreement, we are advancing our vision of a circular carbon economy. Our continued collaboration with Sekisui lays the foundation for a platform for municipalities to reduce waste, capture carbon, produce valuable sustainable feedstocks, and create local jobs.”