LanzaTech Global, Inc. (Skokie, Ill.) announced that Hebei Shoulang New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. (Tangshan, Hebei, China) has been certified under the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) EU scheme as a recycled carbon fuel (RCF) producer.
The ISCC EU certification standard is recognized by the European Commission. It complies with the sustainability criteria laid down in the Renewable Energy Directive (2018/2001/EU), which promotes the use of renewable energy sources.
Hebei Shoulang is a wholly owned subsidiary of Beijing Shougang LanzaTech Technology Co., Ltd. (Beijing). The facility uses patented gas fermentation technology licensed from LanzaTech (Skokie, Ill.) to convert waste gases from steel production into ethanol. Certification enables certified and compliant volumes of the facility’s ethanol to be marketed as recycled carbon fuel for direct use in European Union marine and road markets, as well as for aviation fuel markets in the European Union and United Kingdom, subject to any additional regulatory requirements in those markets.
“This is a significant milestone for SGLT and for the Hebei Shoulang facility,” said Qingkun Song, deputy general manager of SGLT. “Achieving ISCC EU certification for recycled carbon fuel shows that carbon recycling is not only technically proven, but commercially relevant in regulated fuel markets. We are proud to help establish this new category and to support growing demand for certified lower-carbon fuels across Europe and beyond.”
Under the revised Renewable Energy Directive (RED III), EU member states require fuel suppliers to incorporate increasing shares of renewable fuels to meet national transport decarbonization targets, and may allow recycled carbon fuels to count toward them. ISCC EU certification provides the verified sustainability, greenhouse gas (GHG) emission savings calculations and chain-of-custody documentation obligated parties need to count certified volumes of ethanol, including from Hebei Shoulang, toward these targets, where national rules allow.
Meo Carbon Solutions GmbH (Cologne, Germany), a sustainability consultancy specializing in GHG accounting, regulatory advice and certification pathways for sustainable fuels, supported LanzaTech and Hebei Shoulang through the process. LanzaTech also worked with Brookfield Corp. (Toronto) to address renewable power requirements for the facility, a complex element of the pathway that is expected to inform future recycled carbon fuel certifications.
“Achieving ISCC EU certification for recycled carbon fuel at Hebei Shoulang is a critical step in opening regulated European fuel markets to our CarbonSmart ethanol,” said Dr. Jennifer Holmgren, CEO and board chair of LanzaTech. “This is not just another certificate; it creates a near-term pathway to monetize recycled carbon in EU marine and road markets, while positioning us for aviation opportunities in the EU and UK. In mandated markets where verified carbon intensity carries real value, certification is what turns customer interest into revenue opportunity and accelerates our path to profitability.”