Low Carbon Fuel Project Achieves Breakthrough as LanzaTech Produces Jet Fuel from Waste Gases for Virgin Atlantic

September 15, 2016

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(Virgin Atlantic) For the first time ever, 1,500 US gallons of jet fuel has been produced from ‘Lanzanol’, LanzaTech’s low carbon ethanol; Producing the world’s first jet fuel derived from waste industrial gases from steel mills via fermentation process; The alcohol-to-jet (AtJ) fuel has passed all its initial performance tests with flying colours; Initial analyses suggest the new fuel will result in carbon savings of 65% compared to conventional jet fuel

An innovative low carbon fuel project has taken a significant step forward after successfully producing 1,500 US gallons of jet fuel.

The breakthrough towards developing commercially viable low carbon fuel is the result of a partnership between Virgin Atlantic and LanzaTech. Since 2011 they have been committed to producing the world’s first jet fuel derived from waste industrial gases from steel mills via a fermentation process.

The Lanzanol was produced in China at the RSB (Roundtable of Sustainable Biomaterials) certified Shougang demonstration facility. The innovative alcohol-to-jet (AtJ) process was developed in collaboration with Pacific Northwest National Lab (PNNL) with support from the US Department of Energy (DOE) and with the help of funding from HSBC.

LanzaTech and Virgin Atlantic are now set to continue to work with Boeing and a host of industry colleagues to complete the additional testing aircraft and engine manufacturers require before approving the fuel for first use in a commercial aircraft. Assuming all initial approvals are achieved, the innovative LanzaTech jet fuel could be used in a first of its kind proving flight in 2017.

Following a successful ‘proving flight’ the data collected will enable the partnership to seek approval to use the fuel on routine commercial flights. This would also help pave the way for LanzaTech to fund and build their first commercial jet fuel plant to supply fuel to Virgin Atlantic and other airlines. As a UK based partnership it is hoped the first LanzaTech jet fuel plant would be based in the UK.

Sir Richard Branson said:

“This is a real game changer for aviation and could significantly reduce the industry’s reliance on oil within our lifetime. Virgin Atlantic was the first commercial airline to test a bio-fuel flight and continues to be a leader in sustainable aviation.

“We chose to partner with LanzaTech because of its impressive sustainability profile and the commercial potential of the jet fuel. Our understanding of low carbon fuels has developed rapidly over the last decade, and we are closer than ever before to bringing a sustainable product to the market for commercial use by Virgin Atlantic and other global airlines.”

Dr Jennifer Holmgren, Chief Executive of LanzaTech, said:

“We can now truly imagine a world where a steel mill can not only produce the steel for the components of the plane but also recycle its gases to produce the fuel that powers the aircraft. This program illustrates that such breakthroughs are only possible through collaboration. In this case, it is governments (US DOE, FAA, DARPA), laboratories (PNNL, AFRL, SWRI, MTU, UDRI), NGOs (RSB) and industry (Virgin, HSBC, Boeing, Shougang, Airlines for America) coming together to disrupt our current global carbon trajectory.

“We look forward to working with colleagues past, present and future to make this pioneering new fuel a commercial reality."

Antonio Simoes, CEO of HSBC Bank plc, said:

“We are proud to have provided support and funding to allow production of this innovative new fuel to move from sample size to small demo scale. This breakthrough is testament to what can be achieved when different industries work together to address climate change and support the shift to a low-carbon economy.”

Mr. Wang Tao, Chairman of the Beijing Shougang LanzaTech New Energy Technology Co. Ltd. said:

“Our partnership with LanzaTech symbolizes Shougang’s desire to create a sustainable future for China where industrial growth and environmental benefits go hand in hand,” “Ethanol made from recycled carbon in China can now be used to fuel a plane in the United Kingdom, using technology from the United States! We are honoured to be part of this truly global partnership to provide new sustainable pathways for low carbon fuels that do not impact the food chain or land use.”

Julie-Ann Felgar, Managing Director of Environmental Strategy at Boeing Commercial Airplanes said:

“Boeing is proud to work with Virgin Atlantic and LanzaTech to further expand the use of sustainable alternative aviation fuel. Our work with Virgin Atlantic over many years to move the needle on identifying technologies and partnerships, such as this effort with LanzaTech, reflects the innovative spirit and deep commitment of our industry to reduce our CO2 footprint.”

The LanzaTech production process explained:

Steel production produces waste carbon monoxide (CO) gas, which is frequently flared (burnt off) to the atmosphere as greenhouse gas CO2 (or sometimes used less efficiently for other purposes).
The LanzaTech process involves capturing carbon from the waste gas via fermentation to ethanol, which is recovered to produce ethanol feedstock for a variety of products, including aviation fuel.
Each gallon of ethanol is converted to produce 1/2 gallon of aviation fuel.
The process could be used to capture and recycle around 1/3 of the carbon that steel facilities would otherwise release into the atmosphere.

Future potential of this technology

Ground energy can be sourced carbon free – think solar or wind – but to make liquid fuels as per those needed for aviation you need a carbon source. Where this carbon comes from is up to us – new fossil resources, or recycled carbon.
Recycling waste carbon streams is an effective way to keep fossil resources in the ground. Worldwide, around 1.7 billion metric tonnes of steel is produced every year and waste gases are produced through the chemistry of steel making.
LanzaTech estimates that its process could be retrofitted to 65% of the world’s steel mills.
This offers the potential to produce 30 billion gallons of ethanol worldwide, for around 15 billion gallons of jet fuel p.a.
This would represent just under 19% of all aviation fuel currently used worldwide p.a. (80 billion gallon total world aviation fuel use). READ MORE and MORE (Bloomberg) and MORE (Biomass Magazine) and MORE (Biofuels Digest) and MORE (GreenAir Online)

Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic set to fly a 747 jet with fuel made from factory pollution (CNBC)

Excerpt from Biofuels Digest: Meanwhile, there’s the electric problem. All-electric cars reduce emissions. But although they have zero tailpipe emissions, they have emissions from the production of electricity.

In 2012, the Union of Concerned Scientists released a comprehensive report on this — including grid-by-grid data. Averaging it out, all-electric sedans in 2012 achieved a 32% reduction of carbon compared to the average light-duty passenger car. In other words, cars averaged 35 miles a gallon, but electrics averaged the equivalent emissions from gasoline-powered cars getting 52 MPG.

Couple of concerns, here.

One, vampire losses. The loss of charge when the car is idle and plugged into the wall. Used to be a noted Tesla problem, they have it down to 1-3 miles of charge per day range, in real-world reporting by Tesla drivers. Also, there’s the 8-15 percent energy loss from plug to car.

Accordingly, Green Car Reports concluded that the Tesla Model S, overall, has the same carbon efficiency as a 2013 Honda Civic. That car gets 32 miles per gallon.

So, here’s the problem. Climate change isn’t going to be solved by switching the world’s passenger fleet over to all-electrics. They solve the problem only if you would consider the climate change problem solved by everyone driving a Honda Civic.

Do you?

If not, consider all-electrics a part of the solution, but not the solution. Which is why dudes with lots of urgent calls on their attention — like Bill Gates, Richard Branson, Tom Steyer, John Doerr and many others — formed the Breakthrough Energy Coalition. People who look at the hard data know that we have to have an accelerator on carbon reduction, above and beyond what all-electrics offer in the near-to-mid term.

Which means accelerating on second chance carbon.

...

60-80 percent reductions in transport emissions are possible, even routine, for vehicles using these low-carb fuels.

Every three gallons of fuel generated by second-chance carbon keeps two gallons of sequestered carbon (i.e. petroleum) in the ground.

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Next steps for Virgin and LanzaTech

The pair are now set to continue to work with Boeing and a host of industry colleagues to complete the additional testing aircraft and engine manufacturers require before approving the fuel for first use in a commercial aircraft. Assuming all initial approvals are achieved, the innovative LanzaTech jet fuel could be used in a first of its kind proving flight in 2017. READ MORE