ROSELLE, IL--(Marketwire - Mar 11, 2013) - LanzaTech, a producer of low-carbon fuels and chemicals from carbon-containing gases, announced 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.
"As we take our technology further into the fuel production value chain, Datuk Rahim's extensive leadership experience in the oil and gas industry will be incredibly valuable," said Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of LanzaTech. "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 underutilized, or otherwise unusable gas streams."
Datuk Rahim, the President of the Malaysian Gas Association, began his career in PETRONAS soon after graduating from the University of Birmingham, UK in electrical and electronics engineering. Throughout his 36 years of involvement in the oil and gas industry, he has held a number of high profile positions of increasing responsibility. As Vice President at PETRONAS for 10 years, he covered three different portfolios: Vice President of Human Resource Management for the PETRONAS Group for four years; vice president of the Gas Business for three years and Vice President for Research and Technology for three years. In addition, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of PETRONAS Oil Refinery (Melaka) Sdn Bhd as well as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Malaysian Refining Company Sdn Bhd (MRC).
While serving in PETRONAS, he 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). A professional engineer, 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. In 1997, he completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.
"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," said Datuk Rahim. "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."
In 2012, LanzaTech partnered with PETRONAS to develop new approaches to effectively capture carbon, with an initial focus 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.
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
Contact Information:
Media Contact:
John Williams
Scoville PR for LanzaTech
+1 206 625 0075
jwilliams@scovillepr.com