Source: LanzaTechThe world’s first commercial facility converting industrial emissions to sustainable ethanol has been fired up by LanzaTech and its joint venture partner, Chinese iron and steel producer Shougang Group.

The steel mill in Hebei Province, China, uses anaerobic bacteria derived from rabbit excreta to ferment industrial emissions for sustainable ethanol production. The fuel meets all specifications of ASTM International D4806, the standard for qualifying ethanol added to gasoline for automotive engines. This ethanol performs as well as sugar-derived ethanol in fuel blending applications and also meets the National Standard of the People’s Republic of China GB 18350 for Denatured fuel ethanol.

The mill currently has an ethanol manufacturing capacity of 46,000 tons per year (16 million gallons per year) and is expected to reduce emissions of particulates, carbon dioxide and other pollutants. Ethanol can be used as a low carbon fuel and can be converted downstream to jet fuel, diesel and household products.