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LanzaTech names ex-PETRONAS exec to board

Low-carbon fuel and chemical manufacturer LanzaTech, of Roselle, has named a Malaysian oil and gas executive to its board of directors.

Datuk Ir. (Dr) Abdul Rahim Hj Hashim is the president of the Malaysian Gas Association and a former chief executive of PETRONAS Oil Refinery. He is a 36-year veteran of the oil and gas industry, LanzaTech said in a release.

“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 LanzaTech CEO Jennifer Holmgren. “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 began his career in PETRONAS soon after graduating from the University of Birmingham, U.K. in electrical and electronics engineering. Throughout his 36 years 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.

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 and president of the International Gas Union. A professional engineer, Datuk Rahim serves on the Board of Engineers, Malaysia and also the chairman of the Engineering Accreditation Council 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.

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