LanzaTech to Convert Acquired Ethanol Plant for Biochemicals

Bloomberg
By Andrew Herndon - Jan 4, 2012 9:43 PM CT

LanzaTech NZ Ltd., a closely held biofuels company backed by billionaire Vinod Khosla, will convert a U.S. cellulosic ethanol plant it bought from Range Fuels Inc. to produce chemicals from biomass.

The $5.1 million deal completed on Jan. 3 provides LanzaTech with its first plant, Chief Executive Officer Jennifer Holmgren said yesterday in a telephone interview.

“We have been doing a lot of work on steel mill gases and other gases to ethanol mostly, but in the laboratory we have shown that we can make chemicals,” Holmgren said. “We don’t have any assets where we can control the feedstock that are large and are able to help us scale up,” she said.

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