LanzaTech, Seksui to Develop Waste-to-Ethanol Plants in Japan
US green technology firm LanzaTech has signed an agreement with Sekisui Chemical to deploy, at commercial scale, a jointly developed platform that converts syngas derived from municipal solid waste (MSW) and industrial solid waste into ethanol. Sekisui intends to build multiple facilities in municipalities across Japan which incorporate equipment packages, engineering and advisory services, consumables, and intellectual property provided by LanzaTech, the companies said.
Sekisui expects its first commercial-scale facility to produce 10-12 kilotons of ethanol annually. The ethanol output will be synthetic alcohol and can be converted into ethylene and kerosene for use as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as well as widespread material and chemical applications such as apparel, personal care, and packaging.
With the application of this jointly developed biology-based platform, Sekisui can turn unsorted waste into a cost-competitive replacement for fossil fuel-derived feedstocks. The bioprocessing platform gasifies unsorted combustible waste accumulated at waste disposal facilities and converts this gas into ethanol using a microbial catalyst and gas fermentation technology that does not require any chemical catalysts, heat, or pressure.
The agreement follows the realization of a pilot plant in Yorii-machi, Japan, in 2017 and the 2022 completion of an MSW-to-ethanol demonstration plant in Kuji City, Japan, which has the capacity to produce approximately 400 t/y of ethanol.
“We are pleased to expand our collaboration with longstanding partner LanzaTech, whose waste-to-ethanol technology is converting municipal solid waste into a valuable resource and providing an innovative solution to ending our reliance on fresh fossil fuels,” said Futoshi Kamiwaki, Sekisui representative director and senior managing executive officer.
“With this Agreement, we are progressing our vision for a circular carbon economy. Our continued collaboration with Sekisui is setting the groundwork for providing municipalities with a platform that reduces waste, captures carbon, generates valuable sustainable feedstocks, and importantly, creates local jobs,” said LanzaTech CEO Jennifer Holmgren.
