LanzaTech adds oil and gas veteran to its board

LanzaTech adds oil and gas veteran to its board

Auckland March 12 2013: LanzaTech, a producer of low-carbon fuels and chemicals from carbon-containing gases, announces the appointment of Datuk Ir. (Dr) Abdul Rahim Hj Hashim, the current President of the Malaysian Gas Association, former Chief Executive of PETRONAS Oil Refinery and a 36 year oil and gas industry veteran, to its board of directors.

Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of LanzaTech, says as the company takes its technology further into the fuel production value chain, Datuk Rahim’s extensive leadership experience in the oil and gas industry will be incredibly valuable.

“In addition to the significant potential to create marketable commodities from industrial waste streams containing carbon monoxide, we are seeing increasing opportunity to leverage our technology with under-utilized, or otherwise unusable gas streams,” she says.

In 2012 LanzaTech partnered with Petronas to develop new approaches to effectively capture carbon. The initial focus is on using CO2 from a variety of sources, including refinery off gases and natural gas wells to produce acetic acid, a high value chemical with applications in the polymers and plastics markets.

“I’ve been very impressed with the progress LanzaTech has made to date developing and scaling its core technology to convert waste gases into renewable fuels and chemicals,” Datuk Rahim says. “I look forward to helping the company extend that platform into new feedstocks, including CO2, methane and other carbon sources, as well as new end products.”

Datuk Rahim, the President of the Malaysian Gas Association, began his career in Petronas soon after graduating from the University of Birmingham in electrical and electronics engineering.

Throughout his 36 years career he has held a number of high profile positions, including Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Petronas Oil Refinery (Melaka) as well as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Malaysian Refining Company. During 10 years as Vice President at Petronas he covered three different portfolios: human resource management, research and technology and gas.

He has also held several key positions in a variety of gas industry organizations, both in Malaysia and at an international level including serving as President of the Asia Pacific Natural Gas Vehicle Association (ANGVA) and President of the International Gas Union (IGU).

Datuk Rahim serves on the Board of Engineers (BOE), Malaysia and also the Chairman of the Engineering Accreditation Council (EAC) Malaysia. He is also an Associate Member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Ends

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 impacting adversely food or land security

Currently commissioning a second pre-commercial facility in China using steel mill off gases for ethanol production, LanzaTech, a company founded in New Zealand, is now a global organization with full commercial operation targeted for 2014.

More information is available at www.lanzatech.com

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