LanzaTech Global, Inc., a leader in carbon recycling, has announced plans for a commercial-scale Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) facility at Herøya Industrial Park in Porsgrunn, Norway. The facility, set to begin operations in 2028, will produce ethanol using furnace gas from Eramet’s manganese alloys smelter at Porsgrunn, though Eramet will not fund the project. This innovative plant will integrate LanzaTech’s CCU technology with potential Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) capabilities, establishing Norway’s first integrated CCUS facility.

LanzaTech’s technology transforms carbon-rich gases into sustainable products like ethanol for uses in sectors such as packaging, chemicals, and sustainable aviation fuel. The facility’s expected production capacity is 24 kilotons of fuel-grade ethanol per year, to be marketed through LanzaTech’s distribution channels. This project will also serve as a template for similar plants worldwide, with support from engineering partners Fluor Corporation and Sweco Group in the Front-end Engineering Design (FEED) phase. LanzaTech’s infrastructure partner, Brookfield Asset Management, holds the first refusal for financing, with a final investment decision anticipated within six months.

Eramet, a major metals and mining company headquartered in France, targets a 40% reduction in scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2035 as part of its “Act for positive mining” CSR roadmap. Since metallurgy accounts for about 90% of Eramet’s emissions, CCUS is vital for decarbonizing its operations. Eramet views this project as essential to progressing toward near-zero CO2 emissions for manganese alloys, with the facility expected to reduce emissions by approximately 200 kilotons.

The integration of CCS will depend on feasibility studies and funding, but if implemented, the project would align with Norway’s goal of advancing CCUS technology. By capturing and potentially sequestering CO2 produced in LanzaTech’s gas fermentation, the plant optimizes operational and capital efficiency compared to standalone CCS projects.

LanzaTech’s CEO, Dr. Jennifer Holmgren, expressed enthusiasm, calling carbon a “valuable resource” and highlighting the project’s role in advancing a global circular carbon economy. Eramet’s Chief Development Officer, Geoff Streeton, emphasized the benefits of transforming furnace gas into valuable ethanol and sequestering residual CO2, advancing Eramet’s ambition to deliver a zero-CO2 manganese alloy product for the steel industry.

The Porsgrunn facility aims to create local jobs and reinforce Grenland’s reputation for industrial innovation. This project marks a significant step for both LanzaTech and Eramet in the journey toward decarbonization and sets a precedent for integrating CCU and CCS solutions in heavy industries.

LanzaTech Global, Inc. is a pioneering carbon recycling company that converts waste carbon emissions into sustainable fuels, chemicals, materials, and proteins used in everyday products. Using its innovative biorecycling technology, LanzaTech captures carbon directly from energy-intensive industries, stopping it from entering the atmosphere. This captured carbon is then repurposed as a sustainable alternative to fossil carbon in products such as household cleaners, clothing, packaging, and fuels. Collaborating with global supply chain leaders like ArcelorMittal, Zara, H&M Move, Coty, On, and LanzaJet, LanzaTech is driving forward a circular carbon economy.