LanzaTech, a producer of low-carbon fuels and chemicals from waste gases today announced that Jim Messina, campaign manager for President Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign and noted digital communications strategist, has joined its board of directors.
Messina, who seized the reins on President Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign, which now runs The Messina Group, a firm that advises political campaigns and businesses who want to build movements, services and products that succeed by being data-driven, digitally savvy and grassroots focused.
“Jim’s proven ability to merge technology, messaging and communications in support of ideas that transcend ‘business as usual’ will help us continue our mission of reshaping how our world sources and consumes energy,” said Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of LanzaTech. “Our technology transforms carbon emissions from a problem to an opportunity. This is a bold idea and we’re thrilled that Jim shares our vision and is willing to help us tell our story.”
LanzaTech aims to meet the increasing global demand for affordable and sustainable fuels and chemicals while also reducing overall emissions by recycling widely available industrial waste resources. LanzaTech uses a novel biological approach to transform carbon rich waste gases (from industrial sources like steel mills and processing plants) or syngas generated from any biomass resource (for example, municipal solid waste, organic industrial waste, agricultural waste) into low carbon fuels and chemicals.
“I’m thrilled to be joining LanzaTech, which is shattering current paradigms and changing the rules about energy production,” said Messina. “Social networks, digital communications and other new media have become instrumental in raising awareness and shaping opinion of new ideas and I look forward to working with such a brilliant team to help further craft a compelling narrative and explore exciting and creative ways to deliver it across the globe.”
LanzaTech has a diverse pipeline of products in development with many partners to serve major global markets: ethanol for use as fuel and as a chemical intermediate; platform chemicals such as 2,3 butanediol; and hydrocarbon fuels including diesel, jet and gasoline. LanzaTech estimates more than 50 percent of steel mills worldwide use technology that could be retrofitted to include the LanzaTech process, which translates to 30 billion gallons of ethanol or 15 billion gallons of sustainable aviation fuel – about 19 percent of the current world aviation fuel demand.
LanzaTech is the first company ever to scale gas fermentation technology to a pre-commercial level, developing and successfully operating two facilities that convert waste flue gas from Baosteel and Shougang steel plants into ethanol. Both facilities in China operated at annualized production capacity of 100,000 gallons. Site location and engineering plans for two full commercial facilities are under way and commercial production is expected to begin in 2014.
Messina joins a blue-chip board comprised of a cross section of leaders in global bioscience, finance and gas and oil industries, including: Andrew Chung, partner at Khosla Ventures; Datuk (Dr.) Abdul Rahim Hashim, president of the Malaysian Gas Association and the immediate past president of the International Gas Union; Gary Rieschel, founder and managing partner of Qiming Ventures; Dr. Roger Wyse, president and Chief Operating Officer of Burrill Biogreentech Venture and Private Equity Funds at Burrill & Company; LanzaTech’s founder & chief scientific officer Dr. Sean Simpson and its chief executive officer, Dr. Jennifer Holmgren.
About LanzaTech
LanzaTech is a leader in gas fermentation technology. It provides novel and economic routes to fuels and high value chemicals from waste gas streams. LanzaTech’s unique process provides a sustainable pathway to produce platform chemicals that serve as building blocks to products that have become indispensable in our lives such as rubber, plastics, synthetic fibers and fuels.
LanzaTech’s technology solutions mitigate carbon emissions from industry without adversely impacting food or land security. With two commercial facilities in China slotted for construction in 2013 and full operation in 2014, LanzaTech, a company founded in New Zealand, is now a global organization.
Source
LanzaTech, press release, 2013-09-25.
Supplier
BaoSteel
Burrill & Company
Khosla Ventures
LanzaTech Ltd.
Shougang Group
Share
Renewable Carbon News – Daily Newsletter
Subscribe to our daily email newsletter – the world's leading newsletter on renewable materials and chemicals
