Waste-to-chemicals expert Lanzatech has partnered with German chemical company Evonik to develop sustainable routes to speciality polymer precursors. The three year deal will see Evonik couple its existing biotechnology expertise with Lanzatech’s microbial process for fermenting ethanol and basic chemicals from streams of waste-derived syngas (CO and H2 mixtures).

‘Synthetic biology is changing the face of the chemicals industry,’ said Lanzatech’s chief executive Jennifer Holmgren. ‘Our partnership with Evonik plays an important part in bringing these technologies to the world.’

Meanwhile, Lanzatech has also agreed to install a non-incineration reformer made by Concord Blue at its site in Georgia, US. The syngas that the reformer produces from woody forestry waste and local municipal solid waste will be fed into Lanzatech’s biofuels and chemical fermentation process.