19-12-2024

Technip Energies and LanzaTech awarded funding for breakthrough CO2 to Ethylene technology

Technip Energies and LanzaTech Global, Inc. announced that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) has committed up to $200 million in federal funding and authorized the initiation of Phase 1 of their Sustainable Ethylene from CO₂ Utilization with Renewable Energy Project (Project SECURE).

Project SECURE, led by Technip Energies in partnership with LanzaTech, aims to provide an integrated commercial process which takes captured carbon dioxide from ethylene production and recycles it with low carbon intensity hydrogen to create sustainable ethanol and ethylene. This joint technology solution is intended to first be deployed in the U.S. Gulf Coast region for integration directly into an existing commercial ethylene cracker and has significant replication potential for ethylene crackers worldwide. Globally, there are approximately 370 ethylene steam crackers, over 40 percent of which use Technip Energies’ technology, including eight in the US.

LanzaTech’s carbon recycling technology, which has benefited from previous DOE support, can also be utilised in any industry with waste carbon, allowing other sectors to profit from capturing and recycling carbon-rich emissions into valuable ethanol, instead of sequestering or releasing them into the atmosphere.

OCED has committed up to $200 million throughout the project duration to Project SECURE to fund the design, engineering, construction, and equipment for the commercial-scale integrated technology unit. Today’s announcement represents the award of nearly $20 million for the first of four phases to be funded by OCED over the course of the project. During Phase 1 of the project, Technip Energies and LanzaTech will conduct a Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) study, developing project plans, providing documentation and reports necessary to complete the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review, and engaging with local community and labor stakeholders.

Arnaud Pieton, CEO at Technip Energies, stated “We are pleased to receive the Phase 1 award from the OCED and begin the engineering design work to progress the development of this innovative technology. The global population is expected to continue to rise by 2050, bringing with it a greater demand for consumer goods that rely on ethylene. While addressing this growing demand, we absolutely need to decarbonize ethylene production. We not only need to do something about carbon but very importantly with carbon. That is what our partnership with LanzaTech on this technology is all about. Leveraging our long-lasting leadership in ethylene, we are committed, together with LanzaTech, to develop this technology at scale and continue to explore ways to decarbonize ethylene production.”

Dr. Jennifer Holmgren, Chair and CEO of LanzaTech stated, “We are thrilled to reach this milestone and commence work on this important project. Ethylene is a key building block for thousands of chemicals and materials, and is often referred to as the world’s most important chemical. Our project not only increases the efficiency and value of existing ethylene production infrastructure, but also creates high-quality jobs and supports local communities. Circularizing our global carbon economy requires combining ambition with action, and we are grateful for the shared vision and support of the OCED to advance this replicable technology, strengthening our domestic manufacturing base for valuable commodities.”

OCED’s mission is to deliver clean energy demonstration projects at scale in partnership with the private sector to accelerate deployment, market adoption, and the equitable transition to a decarbonized system.

OCED will provide oversight of the project by evaluating the status and quality of implementation at each phase of the project. Through its phased approach to project management oversight, OCED will review and evaluate the project’s progress, including community benefits, which impact OCED’s decision to continue to provide federal funding and allow a project to progress to the following phase.