Business Standard reported that New Zealand based renewable energy company LanzaTech is in talks with IndianOil and Jindal Steel & Power for setting up a plant to produce commercial bio jet fuel from ethanol.

Mr Prabhakar Nair VP Business Development for Asia Pacific of LanzaTech told PTI that as a first step, LanzaTech will open an office in the country in the first half of 2012 to expand operations here.

He said that IndianOil and Jindal Steel & Power are already in talks separately with LanzaTech on partnering to accelerate deployment of LanzaTech's technology for production of ethanol fuel from industrial off-gases.

Mr Nair said that "We have done our best to bring these partners together. While Jindal Steel & Power has the off gases, IndianOil has facilities to make, store and supply aviation fuel. We expect them to take a decision in a year and a half to set up a demonstration scale plant.”

However, he said, the proposed plan only involves technology sharing and not any investment in the plant and machinery.

He noted that British airline Virgin Atlantic has already committed to trials using renewable bio jet fuel on its Shanghai-New Delhi-London Heathrow route within two to three years.

(Sourced from BS)