LanzaTech and Eramet announce plans for first-of-a-kind integrated Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) project in Norway

Press Release

CHICAGO, Oct. 31, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LanzaTech Global, Inc. (NASDAQ: LNZA), the carbon recycling company transforming above-ground carbon into sustainable fuels, chemicals, materials, and proteins, today announced plans to develop a commercial-scale Carbon Capture and Utilization (“CCU”) facility (the “facility”, “plant”, or “project”) at Herøya Industrial Park in Porsgrunn, Norway. The plant will produce ethanol and is expected to begin operations in 2028. Eramet will supply furnace gas as feedstock to the facility from the Porsgrunn Manganese Alloys smelter but will not participate in its financing.

To unlock further emissions reductions, the two companies also intend to build upon the CCU infrastructure and, if demonstrated to be feasible, integrate Carbon Capture and Storage (“CCS”) technology as part of a second phase of the project. The integration of LanzaTech’s CCU technology with CCS is expected to establish a first-of-a-kind, integrated facility that drives leading-edge carbon abatement metrics.

The new plant at Herøya will complement the six other commercial-scale plants already using LanzaTech’s carbon recycling technology to produce ethanol, marking the first for which LanzaTech will manage the full scope of project design, construction, and operations. The project’s Front-end Engineering Design (FEED) phase was completed with global engineering firm Fluor Corporation, which has partnered with LanzaTech in creating a baseline plant design replicable for projects worldwide. Sweco Group, bringing best-in-class sustainability expertise, also supports the project. Brookfield Asset Management, LanzaTech’s infrastructure investment partner, will have the right of first refusal for financing, with a Final Investment Decision (FID) expected within the next six months.

LanzaTech’s proprietary technology is a fermentation process that biologically converts carbon-rich gases into sustainable raw materials, such as ethanol, for applications in clothing, personal care products, packaging, and fuel. The facility’s maximum production capacity is expected to be 24 kilotons per annum of fuel-grade ethanol. Demand markets for this ethanol are wide-ranging, including chemicals and sustainable aviation fuel. LanzaTech intends to market the produced ethanol through its existing and emerging sales channels.

Eramet Norway’s Porsgrunn smelter has two closed furnaces producing manganese alloys. Manganese smelting is classified as hard-to-abate due to the necessity of carbon for the chemical reduction of manganese ore. Eramet Group, headquartered in France, targets a 40% reduction of its scope 1 & 2 emissions by 2035 as part of its “Act for positive mining” CSR roadmap. With metallurgy accounting for about 90% of Eramet’s scope 1 & 2 emissions, this project marks a significant step towards achieving Near Zero CO2-emission Manganese Alloys.

The planned integration of LanzaTech’s CCU process with CCS technology illustrates LanzaTech’s carbon recycling platform's ability to partner with and enable other carbon management technologies. Residual output from LanzaTech’s gas fermentation process at this facility will be highly concentrated CO2, suitable for CCS, which reduces operating and capital costs compared to a standalone CCS project.

“We are thrilled to announce plans for Norway’s first commercial carbon recycling facility using LanzaTech’s technology,” said Dr. Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of LanzaTech. “Carbon is an incredibly important resource that requires a wide range of solutions to manage responsibly. By recycling above-ground carbon with our CCU process, this groundbreaking project gets us another step closer to realizing an enduring global circular carbon economy.”

The facility in Porsgrunn will enable Eramet Norway Porsgrunn smelter to achieve a significant reduction in its CO2 emissions. The potential inclusion of CCS in the project is pending results of a feasibility study and financing, with companies optimistic about its support of Norway’s role in advancing CCUS.

In addition to CO2 emissions reductions, the LanzaTech-Eramet collaboration will benefit the local community by creating jobs in Grenland’s thriving industrial region, strengthening the municipality’s innovation reputation.

Geoff Streeton, Chief Development Officer, in charge of strategy, innovation, and business development at Eramet, stated, “Eramet is pleased to be collaborating with LanzaTech on this first-of-its-kind decarbonization project of our manganese smelters. Firstly, to ensure optimal circular value creation in the use of our energy-rich furnace gas. Secondly, this creates an attractive option to further liquefy and ultimately sequester the remaining CO2 streams. On a combined basis, these CCU & CCS projects at Porsgrunn could bring a reduction of the company’s CO2 emissions by ~200 kt of Eramet’s Scope 1 & 2 emissions. This project brings Eramet closer to producing and offering a Zero CO2 manganese alloy product, benefiting the decarbonization of the steel value chain.”

About LanzaTech

LanzaTech Global, Inc. (NASDAQ: LNZA) is the carbon recycling company transforming waste carbon into sustainable fuels, chemicals, materials, and protein for everyday products. Using its biorecycling technology, LanzaTech captures carbon generated by energy-intensive industries at the source, preventing it from being emitted into the air. LanzaTech then gives that captured carbon a new life as a clean replacement for virgin fossil carbon in everything from household cleaners and clothing fibers to packaging and fuels. By partnering with companies across the global supply chain like ArcelorMittal, Zara, H&M Move, Coty, On, and LanzaJet, LanzaTech is paving the way for a circular carbon economy. For more information about LanzaTech, visit https://lanzatech.com.

About Eramet

Eramet transforms the Earth’s mineral resources to provide sustainable and responsible solutions to the growth of the industry and to the challenges of the energy transition. Its employees are committed to this through their civic and contributory approach in all the countries where the mining and metallurgical group is present. Manganese, nickel, mineral sands, and lithium: Eramet recovers and develops metals that are essential to the construction of a more sustainable world. As a privileged partner of its industrial clients, the Group contributes to making robust and resistant infrastructures and constructions, more efficient means of mobility, safer health tools and more efficient telecommunications devices. Fully committed to the era of metals, Eramet’s ambition is to become a reference for the responsible transformation of the Earth’s mineral resources for living well together.

Eramet Norway