LanzaTech, a carbon capture and biofuel startup, and BASF, a German multinational chemical company, have jointly developed n-octanol at laboratory scale from steel industry emissions. Used in cosmetics and other products, n-octanol is an important molecule for several industries.

The two companies started collaborating a few months ago to develop chemical products using carbon as a raw material. LanzaTech brings its unique, innovative gas fermentation technology to the partnership, while BASF provides its expertise in developing and operating chemical processes. Having developed a suitable strain of bacteria to produce n-octanol, the teams will focus on optimizing the biology and technology design to deliver an efficient production process.

Founded in 2005, LanzaTech has developed the technology to capture carbon dioxide emissions from industrial applications and ferment them using bacteria to produce ethanol, which can be used in industrial chemicals and biofuel production. In 2018, LanzaTech partnered with Shougang Group (a leading Chinese iron and steel producer) to develop the world’s first commercial facility to convert industrial emissions to ethanol. In December 2020, LanzaTech announced that its Chinese facility had produced more than 20 million gallons of ethanol from recycled steel mill emissions.