A joint effort by Technip Energies and LanzaTech Global Inc. to transform CO2 into sustainable ethylene is in line to receive up to $200 million after being selected to start award negotiations by the U.S. Department of Energy.

The funding, which comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, is being awarded as part of the DOE’s Industrial Demonstrations Program, according to a March 25 news release.

The two companies are developing CO2-to-ethlyene technology, starting with carbon emissions. The process involves capturing up to 95% of the flue gas from the furnaces of an ethylene cracker and mixing it with hydrogen, Technip Energies said on its website. From there, LanzaTech will use its biorecycling technology to transform recycled waste carbon into ethanol. The ethanol will then be converted to ethylene using Technip Energies’ Hummingbird technology.

“Together with LanzaTech, our plan is to fully test and develop this breakthrough technology, at scale, in an actual plant, which can then be replicated in other facilities,” said Technip Energies CEO Arnaud Pieton. “Carbon utilization and the ability to decarbonize ethylene will have a significant impact on the chemicals industry’s emissions abatement, which is a benefit to us all.”

The process is expected to help decarbonize ethylene, which is considered one of the key building blocks for chemicals and materials, including plastic-based goods, polyester for clothing and PVC pipes.

The funding, if awarded, will go toward the design, engineering, construction and equipment for a commercial-scale integrated technology unit in the U.S., the release states.

“Leveraging Technip Energies’ substantial industry expertise, this integrated solution has significant replication potential for ethylene crackers worldwide,” LanzaTech said in the release. “Globally, there are an estimated 370 ethylene steam crackers, over 40% of which use Technip Energies’ technology, including 8 in the U.S.”

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