India rising to the top of the bioeconomy

The Last Word

From the ever-quotable LanzaTech CEO Jennifer Holmgren we have the following remarks at World Biofuels Day.

It is an honor to be here celebrating World Biofuel Day through the laying of the foundation stone for the Biomethanation Plant and the inauguration of the CO2 to Lipids Pilot Plant.

Both of these projects are examples of how we can work with carbon, in all its forms, to do good.

Though carbon has a bad name today, carbon is not the enemy. Through innovation, carbon smart design, and strong partnerships we can show the world what is possible when we stop treating waste carbon as a liability and instead treat it as an opportunity. In fact, I believe that to meet our fuel, climate and food challenges, waste carbon must become a feedstock.

Since 2013, LanzaTech and the research team from the IOC-DBT Centre have been developing a process that recycles CO2 emissions into high value lipids. Imagine an economically viable way to produce fatty acids; fatty acids which can be used for the production of clean fuel AND the production of food. Importantly, this technology will also produce Omega-3s which are not just food, they are nutrition; they are a path to sustainable fish farming and a path to improved human health. Imagine making Omega-3s available to all and imagine making these from recycled waste carbon.

I have worked in the energy sector for over 30 years and in my younger days was distraught over the fact that not every man, woman and child had access to electricity. I could not comprehend a world where a child could not study at night, nor a world were a woman had to spend her day looking for fuel for her stove and water for her children. I then realized that these were the people that were also most vulnerable to the impacts we are having on our climate as a drought for us means little, but for her, it is additional endless hours finding water for her family. Quickly, I realized that to truly help those in need we must achieve clean energy democracy. 30 years later, I am fortunate enough to stand here to celebrate a project which can not only contribute to clean energy democracy but, perhaps more importantly, to food security and nutrition democracy.

On today’s journey, we are honored to partner with Indian Oil on projects which reflect their commitment to zero impact growth. They are leading the next generation of refiners by exploring new ways to meet the country’s energy needs enabling energy security, economic growth and alleviating energy poverty. We are also honored to partner with the government of India whose recently released National Biofuels Policy further reinforces India’s vision to establish one of the largest sustainable fuels markets globally by enabling the commercialization of novel technology pathways. The policy makes clear that every solution which can reduce the carbon footprint of fuels, has an equal seat at the table. Well done!

Buckminster Fuller said, “You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”

We stand at a point in history where the carbon paradigm that has sustained us and helped us grow our economies must be displaced, where single use carbon can no longer be tolerated and where innovation to create a new carbon economy is urgently needed. But changing the world is not simply the work of innovators, it is the work of governments and industry as they must be willing to take risks to accelerate taking innovative new ideas from the lab to commercial viability. I believe Mahatma Gandhi said it best when he said, “You may never know what results come of your action, but if you do nothing there will be no result.”

Today from the kick off of World Biofuels Day by Honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to this event with my Honorable colleagues on the Dais and with all of you, I know we have the commitment and collective wisdom to not only act, but also to succeed in what we set out to do.

I have no doubt that the two projects we celebrate today will help us rethink the carbon paradigm and help us create a finer future for each and every one of India’s citizens. Thank you for being willing to create the change we all need.